MANILA, Philippines - Although Gin Blossoms takes no offense at being referred to as “that ‘90s band,” the group behind the hits “Hey Jealousy,” “Til I Hear It From You” and “As Long As It Matters” believes they remain relevant in the time of iPods and iPads.

“Sometimes people would tell us, ‘I loved you when I was nine years old’ and then they’d feel embarrassed because they think they’ve slighted us---but we’re not insulted at all,” said Robin Wilson in an interview held at Crowne Plaza Hotel on Nov. 16.

“We are grateful for what we’ve achieved---thankful to have fulfilled most of our rock and roll fantasies---but we remain to have a career.”

The Grammy-nominated band has just released “No Chocolate Cake,” the fifth in a discography that goes back to 1989. The album hit number one on the Amazon.com MP3 charts while the promotional single, “Miss Disarray,” received significant airplay on the adult contemporary charts in the US.

Still, nostalgia plays a big part in their continuing success. During the press conference, many of the journalists “confessed” voluntarily that Gin Blossoms songs comprise the “soundtrack of their ‘90s.” Many ended up talking about that “era,” as if a portal to the past had opened just by the band’s mere presence.

Gin Blossoms members listen to new bands (e.g. My Chemical Romance) but they prefer the sound of analog recording over digital.

“We know there’s technology that can emulate the ‘feel’ of analog but we don’t know if that works. If people are more interested in convenience over quality, that’s fine,” said Wilson.

Asked if they were able to watch the recent bout of Manny Pacquiao, whom they tweeted about a few days ago, Wilson said they missed it though he threw in praises for the prized pugilist all the same.

“He has such an amazing career. For a guy who grew up in an impoverished neighborhood, his real achievement is how he was able to even out the gaps. Everyone watches Manny’s fights and he seems to be a good guy,” he said.

Bulletin Entertainment asked Wilson if he thinks any of their songs in the ‘90s got overlooked.

“Someone told me recently that ‘Pieces Of The Night’ [from the album ‘New Miserable Experience’] should’ve been a single.

“We also feel ‘As Long As It Matters’ should’ve been a bigger hit. It did get a Grammy nomination but it should’ve charted higher than it did.”

They promise their fans a lot of “giving and receiving” in their live shows.

“We understand that they come for the hit songs and we’ll give that to them---with extras.”

The band denied rumors that they are about to breakup. Recall that in the past, the band had a hard time keeping the members intact because of the firing of the original rhythm guitarist of the band, Richard Taylor; the transfer of the original drummer Chris McCann to Tahiti; and the depression, addiction and later on, the death of Gin Blossoms’ original songwriter/ lead guitarist, Doug Hopkins.

The band also took a lengthy hiatus after their hit albums, during which some of the members pursued other endeavors. They reunited in 2002 and released “Major Lodge Victory,” which Billboard dubbed as “an effortless triumph of melodic perfection.”

“We’ll do this as long as we can,” Wilson promised.

Gin Blossoms are in the country for concerts in Manila and Cebu. The band performs at Araneta Coliseum on Nov. 18 and at the Waterfront Cebu on Nov. 20.

Produced by Blue Dream Entertainment, ‘Gin Blossoms Live in Manila’ and ‘Gin Blossoms Live in Cebu’ also feature Australian rock band Fahrenheit 43, Cookie Chua, Gloc 9, De Lara and 6Cyclemind.

Other hits by Gin Blossoms are “Found Out About You,” Mrs. Rita,” “Allison Road,” “Until I Fall Away” and “Day Job.”