BK: How did you end up signing with the Small Room label?
Na: We’re all from Chiang Mai and have been making music for about five years. Three years ago, we had a chance to meet with Pol, the guitarist of this indie band with Small Room, Lomosonic, and we gave him a demo of our song. He gave it to Small Room and, next thing we know, we’re here.

BK: What does Polycat mean?
Piew: “Poly” was the model name of our old synthesizer, and we love cats. They’re everywhere and they’re so fun. We wanted people to look at our band as a fun band, kind of like a cat with many sounds.

BK: How did you get to play in The Hangover 2?
Piew: The casting team for the movie was a team from Chiang Mai. They were looking for a local band to play a small part in the wedding scene and did not want a band from Bangkok. We went to the audition and out of 20 bands, we were chosen for the part. We all were very shocked and happy at the same time because we were fans of the movie and never expected that we would end up getting the part.

BK: Any performance nightmares?
Pha: Once we were playing at this event and there was a member of the audience who regularly tried to steal the microphone and the tambourine. It was funny at first but started to get a little crazy when that person refused to stop.

BK: What’s the hardest part about being a musician?
Na: Staying true to yourself and keeping your work at a high standard.
Pha: I think the hardest part is to remember where you came from and to not let your egos take over. Also, it’s important to be yourself and value the friendship within the band.

BK: What sets you apart from other synth-pop bands out there?
Na: First our lyrics. Our songs are not about ranting or complaining, they’re about telling the truth and looking at things from a different perspective. Second is the fact that we’re probably one of a few synth-pop bands with a trumpet and saxophone in our instrument line up. We used to play reggae and SKA music and thought it would be cool to incorporate those sounds into our music.

BK: What was your best gig?
Piew: The “No Signal Input Chiang Mai Indie Concert.” Chiang Mai is our home town and it’s a true indie concert, meaning people don’t go there just to get drunk, they come for the artists and the music. The show was unbelievable, people were jumping and dancing all over the place; the energy level was just amazing. It’s very different from playing at clubs where you don’t really know if the audiences are enjoying your music because they’re drunk or because they just love your music. Polycat is Rattana Junprasit (Na)—vocals, guitar, Pongsatorn Sawaschuchwan (Pha)—synthesizer, saxophone, chorus, Palakorn Gunjina (Tong)—synthesizer, trumpet, Kaweewit Chaikaew (Doy)—drums and Piew Watanabe (Piew)—bass, synthesizer. Find them at www.facebook.com/polycatband