After eight years of being a founding member and long-time bassist of Lola Amour, Raymond King has announced his departure from the band. The news was first disclosed during a listening party for Lola Amour’s upcoming debut album on March 15, with a public announcement made on the band’s social media platforms earlier this week.
Raymond revealed that the band started as a hobby and was never part of his long-term plans. In his statement, he said, “After 8 years of giving everything I could, I’ve realized that success, fulfillment, and happiness are different things. Now I choose to be happy.”
His final performance with Lola Amour will be at the album launch on April 13 at the Circuit Makati Event Grounds. Raymond will be succeeded by Manu Dumayas, who will permanently join the band starting at another album concert scheduled in late April in Cebu.
Manu is the brother of Lola Amour’s vocalist, Pio Dumayas, and has been a regular sessionist for the band, often playing the trumpet and guitar and providing backing vocals when needed. The current line-up of Lola Amour includes the Dumayas brothers, along with lead guitarist Zoe Gonzales, trumpet player Angelo Mesina, keyboardist David Yuhico, drummer Raffy Perez, saxophone player Jeff Abueg, and Tim Cruz as the main sessionist.
In an interview, Raymond shared that the band’s latest single, “Namimiss Ko Na,” was inspired by his late grandmother’s battle with Alzheimer’s. The song was originally intended as a response to their hit song “Raining In Manila,” but it evolved into a different track on the album. Raymond explained that “Namimiss Ko Na” explores a different form of love and touches on mental health issues.
The departure of Raymond King marks a significant change for Lola Amour, but the band continues to evolve and explore new musical directions with their upcoming album and performances.
