Herbert Hernandez Continues to Thrive in His Music Career, and We Couldn’t Be Happier

Witnessing Herbert Hernandez’s journey in music feels like watching an unstoppable force. His life reads like an incredible movie script: a naturally talented child learns guitar from his older brother, forms a college band that turns into a national sensation, and eventually becomes one of the most prolific songwriters and performers in Filipino history. Now in his early 40s, Hernandez shows no signs of slowing down or stepping out of the spotlight.

Hernandez is the lead guitarist for both Moonstar88—the band he started while studying at the University of Santo Tomas—and 6cyclemind, with whom he has toured since 2010. He is, without question, a rock star. However, music is only one facet of his incredibly busy life. Hernandez also co-founded the successful advertising agency GIGIL, has been married for over 15 years, is a father of three, stays active through biking and running, travels extensively, and still manages to find time for several passion projects that are close to his heart.

Oh, and did we mention? He’s humble and constantly attributes his success to God and his family.

It’s impossible not to like the guy.

From an early age, Herbert Hernandez seemed to excel at everything: visual arts, music, sports, and academics. With a mother who sold insurance and a father who worked as a mechanical engineer, Hernandez balanced his artistic interests with a strong emphasis on education. His brother Darwin taught him guitar in high school, but he never allowed his hobbies to affect his academic performance. In fact, Hernandez’s wide range of interests made him incredibly well-rounded.

He served as student council president, participated in the dance troupe, led the drum and lyre club, and played table tennis. He even won first place in the Math Olympiad Provincial Competition and received prestigious honors like the Juan Luna Award and the Gerry Roxas Leadership Award. It seemed like everything Hernandez touched turned to gold.

This trend continued into his college years, where he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Fine Arts, majoring in Advertising. In 1999, he founded Moonstar88, a pop/alternative rock band that has since become a beloved staple in the Filipino music scene. Although Hernandez originally intended to focus solely on his role as lead guitarist, in 2002 he pitched a song idea that led to him writing Sulat, a major hit for the band, marking his entry into songwriting.

Thankfully, Hernandez embraced this challenge and has since written some of the band’s most popular songs, including Migraine. His talent as a songwriter was further recognized by the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (FILSCAP), which honored him as one of the top songwriters in the country. This recognition allowed him to collaborate with other composers, arrangers, and song interpreters, broadening his musical reach beyond his work with Moonstar88.

It’s almost hard to imagine that Hernandez once considered quitting music entirely. As a young professional rapidly climbing the corporate ladder in advertising, he feared music might distract from his primary career. However, his boss encouraged him to continue pursuing music as a creative outlet and a way to relieve stress.

One of Hernandez’s cherished projects is Lakihan Mo Logo (Make the Logo Bigger), a concert series featuring bands made up of Manila-based advertising professionals. The project gives his colleagues in the advertising world an opportunity to channel their stress into music. Over the past 12 years, they’ve held 58 concerts, and some participants have even signed record deals. Hernandez also organized 12 “Rockovery” concerts to raise funds for medical bills of advertising professionals facing serious illnesses, blending his two passions: music and advertising.

While fans view Hernandez’s career as a carefully planned ascent to stardom, he humbly refers to each milestone as a “happy accident.” He attributes his growing success to divine intervention rather than acknowledging his undeniable talent, hard work, and unique perspective. In his eyes, every new opportunity is simply another blessing from above.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Hernandez is always searching for ways to support and elevate Filipino artists. In 2018, he co-founded The Indierectory, a platform that allows freelance creatives in advertising to showcase their work directly to agencies and companies. He hopes to eventually expand this project on a global scale, providing Filipino freelancers with more paid opportunities. For Hernandez, The Indierectory is one of the projects he is most passionate about.

So, What’s Next for Our Favorite Filipino Rock Star?

While Hernandez continues to tour with Moonstar88 and 6cyclemind across the country, neither band has released a studio album since 2012. However, Moonstar88 has promised new music in 2023, including a vinyl release titled Lourdes 2088.

As GIGIL expands and takes on high-profile clients, Hernandez’s schedule is busier than ever. Balancing his booming advertising career with his musical commitments means long days in the office, brief moments of family time, and late-night gigs that often leave him with only four hours of sleep. It’s a challenging lifestyle, but his fans are grateful that he’s still dedicated to creating and performing music.

When GIGIL was in its early stages, Hernandez relied heavily on his music career to support himself financially after leaving his executive position in advertising. Now, while the income from music may no longer be essential, the immense love and appreciation from his fans keeps him motivated to stay in the game. After all, there are few careers as rewarding as being a rock star, where the joy you bring to others is evident in every performance.

Here’s hoping Herbert Hernandez continues to share his musical gift with us for years to come, both with Moonstar88 and 6cyclemind.

We love you, Herbert!