Sam Milby is a singer, songwriter and actor—and now, you can add to his resume, record producer.
Sam agreed to help market and produce the album of new R & B artist Quest (real name: Jose Villanueva III). Quest and Sam both attend Victory Christian Fellowship, which is where they became friends. Quest, the former music director of Victory, never sang professionally but was always being encouraged by friends who thought he had it in him to pursue a recording career.
So in 2008, Quest resigned his position to pursue a musical career. The following year, he started recording with Jumbo de Belen of Flip Music. Quest spent his savings to record the album, but after that didn’t know how to get it out there or what to do next—and that’s when Sam came into the picture.
“I told him, ‘Bro, I’m finishing an album.’ “ says Quest. When Sam found out, he volunteered to help his friend and churchmate by mass-producing the album. A distribution deal was worked out with Universal Records, and now, the album is out in the market. Titled Revolution, it contains 13 cuts, including the carrier single, Back to Love.
The song, explains Quest, is an answer to what ails the country. “All this recession, corruption—so many solutions are being offered, but the only one that will really work is if we go back to love.”
The carrier single has a music video that features guest appearances by Sam and some of their good friends like John Prats, Richard Poon, Yeng Constantino, Pilipinas Got Talent finalist Markki Stroem and former Binibining Pilipinas second runner-up Abby Cruz.
Most of them are being managed by Cornerstone Talent Agency, which is headed by Sam’s manager Erickson Raymundo. Raymundo also manages Quest.
Quest counts among his musical influences Gary Valenciano, The Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Stone Temple Pilots and the late Francis Magalona.
Quest is not a rapper, but thinks of himself in the same vein as FrancisM, who could rap, but who could also turn around and do a song like Cold Summer Nights.
Quest’s song, Back to Love, has a pop-jazz, R & B feel to it.
According to Quest, Sam has been very helpful since coming on board as producer. “He’s been giving me a lot of advice, like I’m so not used to attention. He told me, ‘You have to get used to it.’ So I’m trying to.”