Conversations about adulthood often arrive at the same subjects. Work. Schedules. The feeling that there is always something waiting to be done.

Among friends, the topic surfaces in different forms. Some talk about commutes. Others talk about inboxes, deadlines, and calendars that seem permanently occupied. Even leisure has become something people learn to schedule. Rest is penciled in between obligations rather than discovered accidentally.

But when one of OPM’s underrated gems Syd Hartha talks about what she does when life becomes overwhelming, the answer is surprisingly uncomplicated.

“Kapag yung city gets too loud o masyadong magulo,” she says, “lagi kong nahahanap yung sarili ko na kailangan kong umuwi na, kailangan kong bumalik sa dagat.”

The sea is a constant theme in her life, resurfacing throughout the conversation. It is not a forced point about wellness, but a natural fixture linked to her songwriting, surfing, and sense of home.

Long before it became material for songs, it was simply somewhere she returned to. That habit eventually found its way into “Dito Muna Tayo,” a song that spent several years changing shape before reaching its final form.

Written in 2021, the track initially sounded different from the version listeners hear today. “Sobrang playful pa no’ng melody. Makulit pa siya,” she shares with ZEEN.

The song remained unfinished for years. When Syd eventually returned to it, she found herself approaching it differently. The arrangement and atmosphere shifted. 

“Ginawa ko na siyang medyo kalmado at tunog dagat.”

Listening to her describe the process, the song’s evolution feels connected to the way she talks about time itself. Nothing in the interview suggests an urgency to release material as quickly as possible. Instead, there is a recurring willingness to revisit things when they are ready.

Surfing enters the conversation several times, often unexpectedly. At one point, Syd traces a lyric from “Dito Muna Tayo” back to a memory on the water.

“May part doon sa song na parang yung araw tinatawag tayong maglaro,” she says. “Inspired siya sa surfing actually.” 

The mention of play is notable because it appears repeatedly throughout the interview. Not in the language of self-help or productivity, but in the way people talk about things they genuinely enjoy doing. “It’s okay to play,” she says. 

“Bigyan mo rin ‘yung 

sarili mo ng time to play, 

to get less serious.” – Syd Hartha

The remark comes during a discussion on adulthood. While responsibility is a factor, Syd focuses on what lies beyond it—spending time outdoors and with friends, engaging in activities that don’t require achievement.

Those interests also shape her collaboration with Toneejay. The pairing feels natural not because the two artists make identical music, but because both have built catalogs that often draw from ordinary experiences. Their songs tend to focus on places, relationships, routines, and moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

Whenever the conversation moves toward songwriting, creativity, or adulthood, it eventually circles back to the same places. A shoreline. A surfboard. A familiar stretch of water. Not because Syd is trying to escape the noise, but because she has already figured out where she prefers to listen once it arrives.

Photos from Sony Music Entertainment Philippines and SYD.HARTHA (via Instagram)