Original drummer Chris Cantada left the group due to his worsening health condition. Wendell Garcia of bands Archipelago and Pupil, and Ted Mark "Tmac" Cruz who plays drums for bands Happy Meals and The Out of Body Special fill in as sessionists after Cantada's departure. However in late 2009, Cruz was confirmed to be a permanent member of the band filling in as the new drummer.
History
Formation (1998–2002)
Between 1998 to 2002, Ysmael "Yael" Yuzon and Reynaldo Gosh Dilay, both from Ateneo de Manila University - High School, met through the school's theater guild, Teatro Baguntao. Yael decided to form a band with Gosh and two other members of the theater guild. They named the group Sponge after R.S. Surtee's Mr. Sponge Sporting Tour. The band won in several high school competitions boosting their popularity not just in their school but in other campuses, as well.Some members of the old lineup left and were replaced by Christopher "Chris" Cantada and Erwin "Armo" Armovit. The latter is the guitarist of another band Rampqueen, which was managed also by Sponge's former manager Raymond Fabul. Later however, they learned about a Detroit grunge band already using the name Sponge. "But we wanted to keep the word Sponge in our band name because people have already associated us with that name," according to Yael. "So we decided to add 'Cola', since it's an easy enough word to remember." Sponge Cola was officially formed in summer of 2002.
Discography
Album
- 2004 – Palabas
- 2005 - Palabas w/ Romeo and Juliet Exprience (Repackage)
- 2006 – Transit
- 2007 - Transit Deluxe (Repackage)
- 2008 – Sponge Cola
- 2009 - Sponge Cola (Repackage)
- 2011 - TAMBAY
- 2012 - TAMBAY' (Repackage)
EP
- 2003 - Spongecola EPTumatambay At Nag Kakatitigan.
Awards and nominations
Awards
40th Box Office Entertainment Awards- 2009 Most Popular Recording Group
- 2004: Rising Sun award
- 2005: Male Rock Icon of The Year - Yael Yuzon
- 2004: Independent Artist of the Year
- 2004: Song of the Year - "KLSP"
- 2006: Pop Band of The Year
- 2007: Pop Band of The Year
- 2008: Pop Band of The Year
- 2009: Best Performance in a Music Video for "Di Na Mababawi"
MYX Music Awards:
- 2006: Favorite Rock Video - "KLSP"
- 2007: Favorite Rock Video - "Bitiw"
- 2007: Favorite Artist
- 2007: Favorite Group
- 2007: Favorite Song - "Bitiw"
- 2008: Favorite Media Soundtrack - "Tuloy Pa Rin"
- 2008: Favorite Group
- 2008: Favorite Music Video - "Tuliro"
- Best Male Vocalist- Yael Yuzon
- Pinoy Magazine Brand Award
Nominations
MYX Music Awards:- 2006: Favorite Music Video - "Gemini"
- 2006: Favorite Song - "Gemini"
- 2006: Favorite Rock Video - KLSP
- 2006: Favorite New Artist
- 2007: Favorite Music Video - "Bitiw"
- 2007: Favorite Remake - "Nakapagtataka"
- 2007: Favorite Song - "Bitiw"
- 2007: Favorite Rock Video - "Bitiw"
- 2007: Favorite Artist
- 2007: Favorite Group
- 2008: Favorite Music Video - "Tuliro" by Treb Monteras II
- 2008: Favorite Group
- 2008: Favorite Media Soundtrack - "Tuloy Pa Rin" - Pedro Penduko at ang mga Engkantao
- 2006: Favorite New Artist in a Video: - "Una"
- 2006: Music Video of The Year - "Bitiw"
- 2007: Drummer of the Year - Chris Cantada
- 2008: Song of the Year - "Pasubali"
- 2006: Best Rock Song - "Jeepney"
- 2006: Best Revival - "Pare Ko"
- 2006: Revival '06 - "Pare Ko"
- 2006: Music Video of the Year - "Gemini"
- 2007: Best Performance by a Group
- 2007: Album of the Year - "Transit"
- 2007: Best Selling Album of the Year - "Transit"
- 2007: Best Album Packaging - "Transit"
- 2007: Music Video of the Year - "Bitiw"
Sponge Cola collaborations
- Super Size Rock (Warner Music Philippines, 2003)
- Tunog Acoustic 3 (Warner Music Philippines, 2004)
- Ultraelectromagneticjam - "Pare Ko" (Sony BMG Music Philippines, 2005)
- Kami nAPO muna - "Nakapagtataka" (Universal Records, 2006)
- Super! The Biggest Opm Hits Of The Year Universal Records, 2006)
- Pinoy Biggie Hits Vol. 2 (Star Records, 2006)
- Kami nAPO muna ulit - "Saan Na Nga Ba Ang Barkada" (Universal Records, 2007)
- Level Up! The Album - "Intercept" (Star Records, 2007)
- Palabas: Best of OPM TV Themes (Universal Records, 2007)
- Astig... The Biggest Band Hits (Universal Records, 2008)
Members
He is the younger brother of Yanny Yuzon of bands Pupil and Archipelago. Yuzon graduated with the degree of English Literature at Ateneo de Manila University.
He is the middle child of Johnny Yuzon (father) and Elsa Yuzon (mother) with older brother Yanny and younger sister Ysabel. All three of the Yuzon siblings went to school at Ateneo de Manila University.
Reynaldo "Gosh" Dilay is the bassist, backing vocalist and the primary composer and lyricist of Filipino band Sponge Cola.Born Reynaldo R. Dilay on February 6, 1985.
Erwin "Armo" Armovit is the lead guitarist of Filipino band Sponge Cola.Born Erwin Gerardo Nepomuceno-Armovit (October 3, 1984), also known as Armo, is the lead guitarist of two local Filipino bands Sponge Cola and Rampqueen, both hailed from Ateneo de Manila University.
