Singer-songwriter Jason Marvin has penned hit after hit, including the popular songs "Ikaw at Ako" and "Paubaya."

During Cornerstone Entertainment’s Relapse Night Live, PUSH ABS-CBN had the opportunity to talk with Jason and ask him about his songwriting process.

“Ako kasi, I like to simplify things. So kapag komplikado yung isang bagay, tinatanong ko palagi, what's the point? So ginagawa ko, when I write a song, I make sure na kaya ko siyan pagkasyahin in one sentence. What's the point? Ano yung gusto mong sabihin in one sentence?” Jason explained.

Jason shared that once he knows the message he wants to convey through the song, that's when he typically begins the writing process.

“For example, paubaya. It's entrusting someone you love to another one that will take care of her better. So ganoon very simple. So once you get that main point, I get my guitar, tapos mag-ano ko yung mga chords, and then I hum freestyle. Pero dapat laging naka-voicemail mo. Tapos mag-hum ko niyan. Pag may nakita ako na, uy maganda yun, babalikan ko later. And then kapag na-finalize na yung melody, that's when nilalatag ko yung lyrics. That's the process,” he said.

The singer-songwriter also revealed how he composed some of his hit songs that have resonated with listeners, including the official theme song of Hello, Love, Goodbye, "Ikaw at Ako."

“'Ikaw At Ako' was for my wedding. So gusto ko siya, sinulat ko siya, with the intention na I wanted to sing sana. Hindi ko matapos. So tinapos ni Moi (Dela Torre). So that's how it all panned out."

But sometimes, Jason reveals that he also writes songs specifically tailored to a show or project, like he did with the 2022 hit series 2 Good 2 Be True.

“Pero yung 'Babalik Sa’yo,' pati yung 'Kumpas, sinulat' namin yun, tailor-fitted for 2 Good 2 Be True. So binigay sa amin yung script, binasa ko. Tapos nakita ko na, oh, perfect to. So gagawa tayo ng, kasi nagpapanggap siya, di ba yung sa 2 Good 2 Be True nagpapanggap siya? Pero what if nalaman yung tunay na yung pagkatao niya, mamahalin pa rin pa kaya siya?” he explained.

He went on to dive deeper into the meaning behind the iconic lyrics. “Actually, doon nanggaling yung ‘Sa isang iglap, nagbagong lahat. Hindi ko na kailangan, hindi ko na kaya pa na magpanggap.’ Gusto ko talaga yung in-immerse ko yung sarili ko doon sa story, in-imagine ko yung emotion, in-imagine ko yung ilaw, yung kwarto, yung tension, yung emotion. So dapat may movie scene in my head.”

But did you know that it was actually during a math class that Jason Marvin discovered his gift for songwriting?

“Nagsimula ako when I was, I guess 13. I was in my first year of high school.  Tapos, we were asked to write a song for math. So nagulat ako na ginamit ko yung addition, subtraction, multiplication sa context of a song,” he recalled.

He also shared how his classmates back then loved what he wrote.

“Nagustuhan ng buong school to the point na they replayed, replayed, replayed it throughout the school. Medyo nakakahiya na. But doon ko na-realize na, ah, marunong pala akong kumanta. Ah, marunong pala akong magsulat ng kanta,” Jason added.