As you may have noticed, I have been out since Monday. Just got back late Thursday. My dear brother-in-law Eugene Marmol passed away Friday morning following an accelerated pneumonia that compounded his recent heart surgery at the Philippine Heart Center. He has been ill since late last year but we never could have expected such a sudden death. He was a good man, too good a man to die, and at such an early age. He was just 28 years old. He had a bright future ahead of him. But God must have a plan for him, even better than any of us can give Eugene. We would like to thank all those who sympathized with us, attended the wake and the interment and those who have supported us, specially my mom-in-law, who was most devastated by this tragedy.
** Photo taken at the La Salle Medical Center in Dasma – Cavite on February 11, 2008 where Eugene was initially confined **
The following video is a tribute made by Eugene’s friends and was shown prior to laying Eugene to his final resting place at the Manila Memorial Park – Sucat. The outpour of love and sympathy has been overwhelming. Family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and classmates have stayed with us and comforted us in this time of grief. Thank you so much.
I’m RJ Marmol — writer, musician, and independent creator based in Manila.
I write songs, essays, and books about the messy overlap between money, overwhelm, creativity, identity, and rebuilding. Much of my work circles around what happens when life stops feeling manageable — and how we try to think clearly, make decisions, and keep moving anyway.
On the music side, I release work as HeyRJ. On the writing side, this site is where I gather my books, essays, notes, and whatever I’m building next.
Music
HeyRJ is my sonic soul project. I create raw, minimalist-style and deeply personal music interpretations that feel like a late-night conversation with your truest self.
By blending lo-fi acoustic textures with poetic honesty, my work explores love, loss, grief, healing, and the quiet in-betweens of life. Each song is a letter — a journal entry — a gentle companion for when the world feels too loud or too quiet.
While my catalogue began with intimate cover renditions, my work is increasingly being shaped by original writing, drawing from years of poems, lived questions, and emotional survival.
“Stuck Home Syndrome”released on March 20, 2026 is my first original 20-track album written during a period when time felt compressed and days began to blur into each other. The songs came from sitting with thoughts that had nowhere else to go — unfiltered, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s a concept album that isn’t built around singles or polish. It’s closer to a continuous inner monologue, recorded with minimal production and very little ornamentation and meant to be listened to as one cohesive body of work. The goal wasn’t to resolve anything, only to document how it felt while it was happening.
On May 29, 2026 I released new original singles – “Rapturous”, “Uh Huh”, “Look At You”, “All That” and “Blew Print”. I continue to release both original and cover songs and intend to so for as long as I can so check back every once in a while — you might. just find something you’ll like.
For business inquiries relating to music, email me at: heyrjmusic[at]gmail[dot]com or my personal email at: rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com.
A nonfiction book about what debt does to the mind — and how to begin functioning again when financial stress has made everything feel blurred, urgent, and overwhelming.
Rather than treating debt only as a financial math problem, the book explores the emotional and cognitive realities of financial distress: shame, decision fatigue, avoidance, panic, relationship strain, and the difficulty of making sound decisions while mentally depleted.
Published under Steady Hand Press. It’s available worldwide in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon. Bookstores and libraries can also be order it wholesale via Ingram.
Contact
For book-related inquiries, media requests, bookstore questions, or discussion-group invitations, you can reach me through the contact page on this site or send me an email to rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com or hello[at]steadyhandpress.com
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RJMarmol.com - Since 2008. 
One response to “A Tribute to My Brother, Eugene”
[…] Time flies. It’s been 40 days after Eugene left. […]
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