New three-piece KOBE quickly became a band to watch after the release of their debut EP Here which featured the intriguing folk-rock single “The Ballad of a Man and His Sorrow.” BK briefly caught up with Bain Choppoowong (composer, vocals and guitar), Tawan Chiraseepanya (bass and vocals) and Aryu Charuburana (drums and vocals) ahead of their next gig on Sep 15 at Play Yard by Studio Bar. For details about this event, click here.

How did the band form?
TK: We’ve known each other since the seventh grade when we started playing music together. While still at school we formed a band with a couple of other friends and entered various music contests for fun. When we got to college, we started to think seriously about making our own music. But the problem was we all went to different universities and it was hard to catch up. In our third year, we recorded a bunch of CDs and sold them at the Fat Fest. Then when we were about to graduate, the other members quit, so it was just the three of us left to pursue our dreams. 
 
Why do you release your songs in English?
Bain: We think that our lyrics are best understood and flow more naturally in English. 
Tawan: When we make music, we write in Thai and English. We used to translate English into Thai but then we realized that our songs are a much better fit when expressed in English.  
 
What’s the inspiration behind your sound? 
Tawan: We listen to all kinds of music; I mostly like folk, but we never want to label our sound as one genre. I would say our music is folk-rock and reflects the things that we face in our everyday lives and that anyone can relate to.
Aryu: We sing about life, relationships and other stuff that people can really get into. Our sound is a combination of acoustic folk and rock. I listen to a lot of 90s rock—I love Travis and other rock bands that remind me of our teenage years.  
Bain: In the end, when people hear our music, they can sense we’re an independent act.

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