How did you become a band?
Mick: Toon and I got together about five years ago, but our drummer at the time had to leave to take care of his business. We went through many replacements until we met Ju through a friend of a friend in 2009. The three of us then recorded our debut album on Mind the Gap, distributed by Sony Music. But a few years later the label went out of business.
Toon: It’s funny looking back at how quickly our first album was recorded because we hadn’t really played much together at that stage.
What sort of reaction did you get from your early songs being in English?
Mick: It has varied. Especially when performing out of town, sometimes we have those moments where the audience is just shocked, but it’s up to us to ensure they have a good time.
Ju: Thailand is a country where not that many people communicate in English, so some love it, but many like to hear songs in Thai, too.
Toon: Personally, I think it’s one of the reasons why we only have a limited number of listeners. And that’s why our next single [scheduled for release next month] will be in Thai–we’d like to reach a bigger audience.
Tell us about your songwriting process.
Mick: Our songs generally start off on an acoustic guitar, just trying to find a rhythm. Then we add lyrics. We pull out all the songs from our first album to play live on occasion.
What’s been your best gig?
Toon: That would have to be the Baybeats Festival in Singapore, which featured a line-up of mostly indie bands.
Mick: In places like Singapore and Malaysia, the audience for indie bands is much wider. There’s a lot more support for live music and events. People are just a lot more receptive. The Baybeats Festival is similar to the FAT Festival, just a bit smaller.
Do you consider yourselves an indie band?
Mick: If you listen to us, you’ll notice we’re not really alternative. If anything, we’re pop-rock, but our songs have deeper meanings that we’d like to convey. A small group of fans realize this; that we’re not some mass-oriented band. Most of our fans are male, because I guess we’re basically a rock band.
Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?
Mick: Practice and listen to music a lot, and you will get better.
Ju: I recommend that they enjoy the journey, not just look at the destination. Life is sure to be a disappointment if you’re only focused on being famous. Music can be enjoyable in so many other ways.
Toon: Just have fun. I’d like to see the domestic scene filled with all sorts of music. Just be natural, you don’t need to follow the trends.
