Owel Alvero and Ean Aguila came together in December 2003, around the time
Eraserheads disbanded, in an audition for a class project at the
University of the Philippines in Diliman, but they did not form the band just yet during this time. It was Alvero, together with Rabara, Gaddi, and Fontanilla who started the band that is now known as Ang Bandang Shirley. Not long after, they took in more people as part of their group. This includes Aguila and Salang, who are mainstays of the band until today. Other additions are Pascual and Gener, the former eventually leaving the band and the latter becoming the band's manager. Furthermore, while most of the songs in
Themesongs were primarily penned by Alvero and Aguila,
Tama Na Ang Drama introduced the works of other members, making the album's sound more eclectic. and most recently, "
I'm Drunk, I Love You". The band also covered a
Sharon Cuneta track, Takot Akong Umibig, for the film, "Every Room is a Planet".
Theme Song, the carrier single of their first album, has been used in the
Cornetto Disc TVC in 2013. They have also appeared in the TVC and print ads of FWD Insurance. On March 25, 2017, Ang Bandang Shirley released their new album,
Favorite, which includes tracks previously released as singles and played live, such as
Siberia,
Umaapaw, Karagatan, and
Karamay. In their third album, as with the previous two, all the members contributed in terms of songwriting. Out of all the tracks, Alvero wrote seven songs, including one that was co-written with Paolo Arciga of The Strangeness. Aguila, the band's most prolific songwriter and the person behind the cult classics and "mushpit" favorites, ''Nakauwi Na, 'Di Na Babalik,
and Umaapaw,
penned six. The ladies, Salang and Gener, contributed one song each to the record. In producing the album, the band did not just single-handedly take care of the technical aspects of the songs. Rather, Favorite'' became a collaborative project with the help of other talented and skillful musicians: Migi de Belen of Nights of Rizal, "The Ringmaster" Francis Lorenzo, Mario Consunji of the Big Hat Gang, Joon Guillen of Modulogeek, and Mikey Amistoso of
Ciudad. It was also during the latest album launch that Salang announced her temporary departure to make way for personal endeavors. Debb Acebu was officially announced, after having sessioned for the band several times in the past year, as the band's new lead vocalist during the debut of their Alam Mo Ba? (Ang Gulo) music video on May 19, 2018, at 123 Block in Mandaluyong. Acebu was previously from the Cebu-based band, Honeydrop. On February 19, 2025, Shirley announced their disbandment in a brief statement on their social media platforms. The decision follows the resurfacing of 2017 sexual harassment allegations involving several band members, with new information in early 2025 implicating Aguila. In both instances, those involved released individual statements taking accountability for their actions. Aguila subsequently chose to leave the band, accepting full responsibility for his behavior, after which the remaining members decided to disband. == Notable performances ==