BK: How did you guys come together?
Chai: We didn’t play together at first. I had my own band with friends, while Chai, Tong and Ball were playing together. We always met each other when playing at pubs in Chonburi, which is our hometown.
Champ: The turning point happened when we joined the Sunshine Music Challenge hosted by a radio station in Pattaya. We met Narong Decha of the band Ster. When he saw our performance, he approached me and said he wanted us to go to Bangkok to audition with GMM. After competition, my band and Chai’s band broke up, so I asked them to join me. We went to the audition, and we passed.

BK: What took you so long to have your first single?
Chai: Well, when we passed the audition, we were too young and still in high school. So they told us to get more experience. We created a band, named Maya King, and sent out a couple of singles. We also went to play gigs in other towns, like Hua Hin.

BK: So why did you change the band’s name to Funky Burger?
Champ: The producers think it is cooler than our old name. I was totally against the idea because I thought our fans know us as Maya King. But we finally said OK in the end because our music is kind of funky and our old name doesn’t reflect that.

BK: Why do you dance when playing?
Chai: It is something that sets us apart from other bands. We can play good music, but we can dance and entertain people more, too.
Champ: We were so freaked out at first. The producers sent us to dance classes. We had to practice for about four months until we could dance like we do today.
Tong: The hardest thing at the beginning would be when we have to separate our hands and feet to play and dance at the same time.

BK: Do you worry that audiences will think that you aren’t serious artists?
Champ: I don’t, because we know that we are focusing on making music that we love. Dancing is just a fun act for our fans.

BK: If you could invite someone to dance with you, who would it be?
Champ: Girls’ Generation! It would be great to dance next to pretty, sexy girls like them.
Chai: Ma Boy Sister from Wonder Girls. They give me a thrill every time they shake their hips.
AF: If he were still alive, I would love to dance with Michael Jackson. I’d want to do “Smooth Criminal” with him.
Chai: Chin Chinawut. I think he’s a very talented dancer and a good singer, too.
Ball: I would love to dance with Add Carabao.