I grew up poor but I never thought it was that bad. I lived in a small barn my father built for me and my grandma in Buriram. I quit school to start working in a lathe factory with my dad because they had no money to keep sending me to school.

Beau Sunita (famous singer) is the best thing that’s happened to me. I saw a TV show where she talked about her dream of becoming a singer. It’s like she passed on her dream to me. I was working in the factory and she lit a fire in me. I thought, wouldn’t it be great if one day I had a story like hers to tell.

I don’t believe in luck. I wasn’t going to wait around for some agent to pluck me from obscurity and sign me to a record label. There is no such thing as luck, especially for someone with a face like mine!

I’m just like I was back then, a boy who believes I can be anything I want. I even tried to flirt with the factory owner’s daughter! Sure, she wouldn’t have a bar of it, though.

I always throw myself into things I like. At the factory, I spent my lunchtime playing guitar while the other workers slept in their rooms. I also continued my education at weekends, graduating from twelfth grade.

My friends and I did walk-in auditions to perform music at pubs but no one wanted us. Just as I was about to go back to work in the factory, a pub called us to come play. There, I met members of the band Mono who asked me to join them. We released two albums with RS, but they weren’t really a big success.

I fell in love with life on the beach when I visited Koh Chang years ago. I went there with my bandmates and saw some musicians playing by the sea. I thought that’s fucking right for me. I dreamed of playing music on the beach.

If you think too much, you will never get what you want. I didn’t bother myself with all the consequences when I decided to leave Mono to move to Phuket. 

Most people are afraid to follow their dreams because they think too much. They can’t handle all the questions from others, like who are you going to live with? What about your parents? How will you take care of yourself when you’re sick? My instincts told me that I could live in Phuket.

I knew so much of my life was ahead of me so I wasn’t afraid of losing my chance at signing with a record label. I knew my life was just beginning, so I packed my bags for Phuket right away.

My friends in Phuket are like the high school friends I never had. We are so close and always help each other out. I met Pong Monotone there and he asked me to put out an album on his new record label, Pollen Sound. The result was my debut release Singto Numchoke in 2010.

There’s always a way if you’re really determined. And to be honest, Google can help you. I had no idea what a ukulele was when I first saw a foreigner play one. But after searching on the internet I found tons of information. I started playing and then I won the big prize at the first Thailand Ukulele Competition: a B16,000 ukulele. I was really happy.

I’m proud that people compare my songs to big artists like Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz and even Bruno Mars. Wow! They are world class! I’m just a normal singer. I’m sure that if people listen to my music deeply, they will know that it’s just the same genre, not a copy.

Playing a guitar is like talking for me. Wherever I go, I have to play guitar for at least five minutes every day. If I don’t have one with me, I have to borrow someone’s to play.

I never get bored of what I’m doing. Those who do, should ask themselves: what are you actually bored of, yourself or your work?

Heartbreak always hits me hard. Nothing else makes me so sad. One time after breaking up with my girlfriend, I lay down on the sidewalk and cried out loud. It’s kind of funny when I look back at it now.

I love to see life in the simplest terms possible. No matter what you encounter, it’s never that big a deal.

I’m currently trying to learn piano. It’s such a beautiful instrument. In my free time, I love to check out the new instruments at Woeng Nakhon Kasem and the market behind the Interior Ministry. It’s my happiest hobby. I also have a small custom-design bicycle project called Stickie Ride.

I’ve achieved my dreams already. It happened step by step. I dreamed of being a singer; it happened. I dreamed of playing guitar; it happened. I dreamed of writing my own songs; it happened. I’m already happily living my dream as a musician.

I still get excited every time before I jump on stage. I’m worried for a moment, but once that passes, it’s real fun.

I wish to spend the rest of my life releasing new songs. It’s the only thing I want. I’m releasing an English-language album to sell internationally as Universal Music found my music interesting.

Never give up on life. Always remember that good things are waiting for you. You only need to compete with yourself, not others, to make yourself better.

Trust your instinct. I love following mine. It’s the best thing about me. It always leads me in the right direction.

How do you start B-Boy dancing?
Guide: I fell in love with it since I was in 11th grade, after seeing my seniors dance at my school back in my home of Pichit. I’ve been dancing since then, so it’s been about two years, now.
Ae: I just joined Guide a half year ago. I was impressed by this style of dancing for a long time but didn’t have a chance to start and I used to do a lot of skateboarding instead. Then I saw Guide dancing all alone here at the same time that my board was broken, so I decided to join him.

What did you do before?
Ae: I left school after grade nine and have done lots of jobs since then. I worked in a factory in Petchaburi province then moved to work at a ramen place in Arena 10. Here, I started seeing Guide and started dancing with him. I then quit from the ramen place to work at a wedding studio because working at the restaurant involved late nights and I had no time to dance. I decided to be a motorcycle taxi driver because I couldn’t get on with some of the staff at the studio.
Guide: I just graduated from high school and came to Bangkok to get into a university. My dad was already a motorcycle taxi rider here and he suggested I join him to start saving for university.

Do you enjoy doing this job?
Guide: I do. I first thought that it might not work out as I might not earn much money. But it turned out that it’s quite a good job. I can earn about B15,000-B20,000 a month. I can buy stuff on my wish list like a Game Boy and iPod. I planned to buy an iPad too but I just had a minor motorcycle accident so I had to pay for that.
Ae: It’s a pretty risky job. Thonglor is always busy and it has tons of cars everyday. You must be very careful riding here.

Have you ever be injured dancing?
Guide: I have. It happened three months after I started. I tried practicing a handstand but I wasn’t strong enough so I fell onto my arms fracturing my right arm.

Do you plan to enter any competitions?
Guide: No, not yet. We aren’t that good. They are all the real-deal while we’re still amateurs. We need to practice lots and lots to get into competitions. We try to practice every day between 8-9pm. Sometimes some of our friends, and even random expats, join us.

What’s next?
Ae: I want to start my family as I just got married. I am also trying to save up money to build a house in my home town of Yasothon.
Guide: I want to improve my English so I plan to study an English degree at Ramkhamhaeng University. I also dream of opening a clothing and accessory shop selling hip-hop stuff.

Why was the break important to you?
After five years of constant touring, it’s inevitable that spending that so much time with the same people will create tension. It was important to take some time off to tend to the other matters in our lives. For me it was a nice opportunity to work with other artists, and rediscover my passion for playing the guitar.

Do you prefer recording in a studio or performing live?
Definitely performing live. I never tire of the energy that our fans give us. Recording is often frustrating, hours of sitting around waiting for equipment to be set up. I’m very impatient and usually get my parts done quickly.

The new album has a raw sound, without digital and studio effects. Why did you decide to record it that way?
To create contrast with the last album we made. It appealed to everyone creatively. We always want to try different things.

How long do you see the group staying together?
It depends what day of the week you ask me. Sometimes I can see us doing this forever; other times, I doubt we’ll be doing it for another month.

Other than performing, what are you going to do in Singapore?
Singapore’s actually one of my favorite places. I’ll be enjoying the warm weather and amazing food. Maybe a trip to the Night Safari?

Touring schedules can be rough. What do you do to relax?
I go swimming when I can. Singapore is good for that!  

Bloc Party performs March 18, 8pm at Fort Canning Park.

Water has been part of my life since I was born. I grew up among plantations on the Thonburi side of Bangkok. I helped my parents take care of our plants and traveled the canals by boat.

Going to school was the hardest thing about my childhood. I walked four kilometers each morning to catch a bus to school and did the same in the evening.

My parents’ encouragement kept me moving forward. They always told me to study, so I wouldn’t have to work hard like them. 

I love math and science so I wanted to study engineering. I chose to study Irrigation Engineering at Kasetsart University instead of attending Chulalongkorn. People said I was a fool, but the truth is I had already paid my tuition and dorm fees to Kasetsart before Chulalongkorn announced their results. My parents weren’t rich so I didn’t want to waste their money. 

Staying in a dorm can really shape your life, for better or worse. You have the freedom to do anything. I picked up smoking from my time there. I finally kicked the habit when I was 28 after listening to a famous monk preach about how stupid it is to harm oneself by smoking.

Working for my country is always an honor. I realized this when I decided to become a public servant whether it was the best thing for my career or not. 

A public servant’s low salary is no excuse for corruption. When you choose to work as a public servant, it’s your duty to serve the country, not exploit your motherland. 

I thought I would work in the jungle forever after I got a job with the Royal Irrigation Department in 1968. They sent me into the deep jungle to build Kaeng Krachan Dam. One day, they recalled me to go study in the US through a scholarship from the Anandamahidol Foundation. I came back to follow HM the King’s work more closely. 

“Impossible” isn’t in the King’s dictionary. If he planned to visit the deepest village in the mountains to help people, he would. He spent seven months a year in rural areas to carry out royal projects. 

Consider all aspects of every decision. Working with the King for decades taught me this philosophy. He always told us, “My words aren’t a royal command, they’re ideas, so think carefully so that they may really benefit people.” That always made me think twice! 

I didn’t want to be an old man who just stays home and takes care of his grandchildren when I retired. So I resigned from my last post as the director of the Royal Irrigation Department to run for a seat in the senate in 2000.

Old people still have the power to contribute to society. It’s just a matter of encouraging them and others to embrace their experience. That’s why I joined the Elder Energy group (www.facebook.com/elderenergy).

I work seven days a week, almost every week, at the age of 73. I don’t play golf or surf the internet all that much. I enjoy nothing more than working in the field with people who still ask my help. To be honest, it’s pretty annoying to be told that my friends are on the course playing golf whenever I need to talk to them. 

Bangkok’s governor candidates are all talk. I don’t see any policies that set big goals to be realized in future decades.

Bangkok is so dirty now. Back 10 or 20 years ago, it wasn’t as messy as this. There are vendors and waste everywhere. Some people say it’s part of our charm, but I ask, “Is this really how you want your city?”

Bangkok’s road drainage system is outdated. It was built decades ago and Bangkok is sinking every year. Sukhumvit and Petchburi roads have sunk more than 1.80 meters since the drainage system was put in place. 

I want the next Bangkok governor to pay more attention to our canals as they play a huge role in flood relief. Start by resettling the nearby poor people and modifying the banks to ensure the canals are clean and flow smoothly. 

Bangkok’s problems can’t wait any longer. If we don’t start fixing them now, it doesn’t bear thinking about how bad it will be in 10 years’ time. We need long-term plans in place that don’t simply end with a change of governors. 

I’m afraid that the government’s ongoing floodway project will end up being worse than Hopewell. The budget is too low and the bidding companies only have rough plans.

I dream of improving communities’ capacity for protecting themselves from floods. The government can’t save everyone, so people must take their own precautions.

Hurry to do things you want to do. The King is my inspiration for volunteering for my country. He’s worked until he’s frail, while I still have energy to do things for my country. I always remind myself that I don’t have much time left, so I better hurry.

Success isn’t achieved by chasing money. Complete your task to the best of your ability, then you will be a successful person. 

What was your dream growing up?

Was the decision not to publish yours, your publisher's - or were you told not to?
Before I published my first Inspector Tay novel, The Ambassador's Wife, I had accumulated some pretty good contacts in Singapore because another series of books I had written – the Jack Shepherd legal thrillers – had been popular there. The Straits Times had done two very big feature stories about the Shepherd books, and most of the other major publications in Singapore had written about them at one time or another as well. As a result, I had built up a decent list of acquaintances in Singapore throughout the press, government, and law enforcement and I worked with many of them to make sure The Ambassador's Wife felt authentic.

When my publisher first announced The Ambassador's Wife, the book got a lot of attention in Singapore. A series of contemporary crime novels written by a reasonably popular international crime novelist and featuring a Singapore CID cop? Sounds pretty cool, right?

Then The Ambassador's Wife was published. All my contacts abruptly stopped returning my calls, and not another word about the book ever appeared in any publication in Singapore.

It wasn't particularly incendiary. It revolved around Inspector Tay's superiors pressuring him to allow the FBI to take over the investigation of an American woman whose dead body was found at the Singapore Marriott before the outcome of the investigation became an embarrassment to Singapore. Tay, of course, in the tradition of every good literary investigator, refuses to stand down until he uncovers the truth.

From my publisher's point of view, the worst problem was that orders from local booksellers in Singapore quickly dried up and not many copies were sold locally. Outside of Singapore, happily, it was quite a different story. It became one of my all time best selling books. It even made it all the way to #1 on Amazon UK's Kindle bestseller list last spring.

Now please don't misunderstand me here. I'm not suggesting for a moment that orders went out from somewhere on high to give Needham the cold shoulder after The Ambassador's Wife was published and not to buy his book. In my experience, in Asia the process of marginalizing writers whom the powerful don't like is far subtler than that. Booksellers and people in the media know when a certain book isn't popular with the local powers that be, so they simply ignore it.

Exactly the same thing happens, for example, in Thailand. Although, funnily enough, the Thais seem to like the books that I write about you just fine. They just don't much like the ones I write about them.

Anyway, flash forward a couple of years….

I finished my second Inspector Tay novel, The Umbrella Man, in which Tay comes into serious conflict with the Internal Security Department, a government agency concerning which Tay harbors deep and abiding suspicions. Now I'm very much aware of how ISD operates in Singapore and of its sensitivity to any form of publicity, although perhaps I should also add that I know absolutely nothing about ISD except what I was able to learn from public sources. That's the advantage of writing fiction. I make most of this stuff up, folks.

Given the reaction to The Ambassador's Wife in some quarters there in Singapore, and given the possibility that those same people would see The Umbrella Man as even more objectionable, I had a bit of a talk with my publishers before sending them the manuscript. Marshall Cavendish Ltd, which is owned by a Singaporean media group, has most recently published my print editions and distributed them throughout Asia, Europe, and the UK. Another company publishes my e-book editions worldwide, one that has no connection with Singapore.

We subsequently agreed that Marshall Cavendish would not publish a print edition of The Umbrella Man this time. The e-book edition went ahead as usual and became available worldwide in early January. I have retained the print rights myself and it is always possible that another publisher somewhere will still eventually release a print edition after all.

Why do you think the Singapore government is so concerned about negative depictions of the country?
I certainly don't consider either The Ambassador's Wife or The Umbrella Man to be negative depictions of Singapore. Quite on the contrary, I think they are authentic and honest depictions. That's always what I strive for, regardless of where I set my novels.

The greatest compliment I think a writer can receive is when people tell you how real your novels felt to them. I love it when people write me to say things like, "I haven't been in Singapore in ten years, but then I read The Ambassador's Wife and it was like being back there all over again. I could hear it, I could feel it, I could smell it."

That's what I always try to do, invoke a setting in such a way that it feels like a character in the novel. I want it to be real, both for people who already know something about the place where the book is set, and for people who don't.

What made you want to set this - or any of your - stories in Singapore?
All of my novels so far have been set in Asia. The Jack Shepherd novels – Laundry Man, Killing Plato, and A World of Trouble – are set in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Phuket. The Big Mango is set about half in San Francisco and half in Bangkok.

I wanted to do some novels set in Singapore, too, and that was why I came up with a Singaporean to help me tell those stories, Inspector Samuel Tay. Singapore is a major world city that remarkably few people outside of Asia seem to know much about. There's almost no popular fiction published that draws on Singapore for its backgrounds. I just think Singapore is a great place for a series of contemporary crime novels.

What do you think Singaporean readers will enjoy about this book?
Most everyone enjoys reading fiction set in a place they know. That makes a book feel particularly real to them.

Then too, there are a lot of Singaporeans who think a bit now and then about their place in the world and what it means to be a citizen of Singapore, and I think they would enjoy walking along with Sam Tay while he goes through the same process. Tay's mother was Singaporean and his father was American, but now that he's reached middle age he's not all that certain that he has gotten much of a sense of identity from either of them. And quite often he wonders where that leaves him…

Would you be sorry if you weren't allowed back?
Look, I'm a novelist. I write fiction. I can't imagine that any government, let alone one that considers itself as forward thinking as Singapore's does, would actually see a foreign novelist as a threat to them. Or, even if they did, that they would do anything to risk the humiliation of admitting it.

Certainly I'm aware of the jailing of Alan Shadrake, and I have to tell you that I think jailing an elderly British writer for nothing more than expressing his opinion about Singapore's judiciary did real violence to Singapore's international reputation. I can't think of any other place on earth that considers itself democratic that would have done something like that. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why the most recent press freedom index from Reporters Without Borders ranked Singapore at 149 out of 179 countries for freedom of expression, lower than Russia, Cambodia, or Afghanistan. I think, and I hope, your government is thoroughly embarrassed about that, but I doubt it.

Still, Mr. Shadrake and journalists who are struggling to find a way to tell the truth about the stories they cover are in far different positions than I am. These are serious people with important agendas.

I'm just a novelist. I write fiction. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. Except maybe to buy a few more of my books.

UPDATE - 7 March

With the Singapore police force currently in the news in connection with an American's death in the city-state, we asked Jake about the somewhat spooky parallels with his first Inspector Tay novel.

Have you been following the Shane Todd case?

What is your view on the world today?
Humans and cancer are very similar. They both voraciously consume everything around them until they destroy their host. In this case the world is our host, and we’re doing a good job of destroying that. No wonder we’re trying to get to Mars—they don’t even have a McDonalds there yet.

Is corruption rifer than ever?
Everybody has been corrupted in some way, and we ignore it as best we can. We’re so desensitized by advertising and the media that we don’t realize that our choices and belief systems have already been decided for us. From the type of burger you should eat this month to the methods in which you should recycle your garbage, it’s all been workshopped to increase product sales. We’re not communities any more—we’re “target markets”.  

What is art’s role today in making things better?
I think art forces you to look more deeply at things and ask questions. New, exciting and often profound discoveries continually occur in the pursuit of creative endeavors and this is something to be embraced.

What provokes you the most today?
I’m most provoked by the constant “prodding” of advertisers and corporations for me to pay attention to them and their ridiculous products. I wish everybody would just calm down and stop talking about Justin Bieber.

Is the world getting more and more homogenous, and what can we do about it?
The internet is probably the only way we can find alternatives from the conservative infrastructure that the government and corporations have now set up for us. It’s a scary world that we’re living in, and difficult to get the right platform to express your ideas without getting lost in the noise.

What does it take to be happy?
Simplify your environment and be honest with yourself.

The Perfect Drug is on through March 18.

First up, how were the All Tomorrow’s Parties concerts you just played in Australia? It’s quite a time to be appearing on the same bill as My Bloody Valentine…
ATP Australia was wonderful! It was a really great time and an honor to be playing with so many amazing bands. They do a really great job with that festival and always have a really nice set up, so you can really enjoy everything that is happening. It’s a complete mind-blower to know that you played on the same stage as Swans and My Bloody Valentine. It is also such an honor not only to share a stage, but to be able to see them perform and walk past them in the hotel lobby the next morning!

What brings you to Thailand?
We have never been here before and it seems like such a beautiful country. This is our first time playing in Asia, so this part of the tour is all new and amazing for me. I'm just happy that we are allowed to come to Thailand and play a show!

What can you tell us about your forthcoming album Floating Coffin: how was it recorded? How is it different from previous records?
Floating Coffin was recorded at a studio called The Hangar in Sacramento, California. An insane amount of albums have been recorded there and it has a long history of incredible releases. Unfortunately, it will be closing down very soon so we wanted to get in there and record another album while we still had a chance. We used our good friend Chris Woodhouse [producer of previous albums Master’s Bedroom…, Help, Warm Slime, Putrifiers II, etc.] once again because he is a wizard and probably knows our music better than we know it ourselves. It was recorded live with a few overdub tracks, like most of our recordings, and I think it is a good natural progression from our previous releases. This one will also have some incredible string arrangements on it to mix things up and give it a nice flavor.

You guys are so prolific. Do you have a long-term plan for releases or is it just like a natural flow?
There isn't a plan for our recordings, we just write songs and then record them at our own pace. We don't really think about what you traditionally can or can't do in music or recording, we just do what we do when we have the time to do it. It's better to be busy than bored so that translates into a lot of touring and recording for us.

Which do you prefer: recording or touring?
They are both great. I feel really fortunate to be doing what I am doing in my life right now. I suppose I prefer touring, though. I knew growing up in a small town that if I lived a normal life I would never get to see the places I'd look at in books or travel very far from home. So after discovering music I worked really hard to get to a place where I can use music to see different countries and enjoy different cultures. I really am living the dream right now!

Does the band prefer to play small clubs and house parties over the bigger venues?
It's a bit of a silly question. You can drive a super-expensive brand new tiny sports car or a beat up 1953 Cadillac and get massive amounts of enjoyment from each one.

Your live shows are renowned for being pretty rowdy; has it ever got too out of hand?
There have been some pretty crazy shows, but nothing too wild. There was a great show I remember in Montreal where I started to feel a little sea sick because the crowd was swaying back and forth so violently I felt like I was on a boat!

With such a big back catalog, how do you decide which songs to play live?
We have a limited number of songs we remember very well; for each new song we write, an old one gets removed from our memory bank. These all get written down on a piece of cardboard that is in John's guitar case and he picks and chooses them at random at the start of a tour. A few shows into a tour we've worked out a set list and we just go from there.

Thee Oh Sees started out as a solo project for John. But over the years, the band has grown quite a bit. What is the songwriting and recording process like now?
It's always been John coming into the rehearsal space with an idea, then we add our own bits to the mix. I suppose he is the chef, while we are the sous chefs!

How do you stay sane on the road?
I don't.

How did it come about?
We've been admirers of Tanaami's works ever since we were back in college, so when we got approached by our Japanese agent to work on a collaborative project with him, we were very excited. When we finally met Tanaami-san, we were amazed at the level of creative and conceptual synergy between both parties. There were a lot of corresponding elements and themes running through our respective visual iconography and vision of the universe. We both explore the themes of life-cycles like youth, decay, life and death.

Why specifically Tanaami?
We respect his passion and dedication to his work and ideology. He is a grand master of his own art and universe. His artistic and energy level, creative vision and understanding of his craft and inner world is truly out of this world. 

What was the working process was like?
Tanaami-san is a very open and radical artist to work with. We had the pleasure to visit his studio in Tokyo, where we got inspired by looking at his sketches, manga collection, odd memorabilia and posters. We simply had tea with him and chatted about our views on Japan, Singapore, comics, anime, history, art, food and everything else in-between. It was truly a natural process. Our conversations had to be translated, but we believe nothing was lost in translation!  

Where do you normally get your inspiration from when composing a song?
I get inspired by relationships—not only my own, but also those that I experience around me. I’m fascinated by the subtleties of how we all relate to one another in different situations. I long for us all to connect authentically and without fear and to love freely. And when we don’t, I feel compelled to understand why.

What’s your favorite song to perform live?
I really love performing “Sunday Afternoon.” It’s the kind of song that becomes really epic as it progresses and showcases the chemistry the band has on stage. It’s an anthem of sorts that starts reflectively and ends with a passionate self-declaration to not feel pain anymore, but it’s so obvious that one does.

Where does the intimacy and intensity of your lyrics come from?
Being vulnerable comes naturally to me when I’m writing. I think some of this is sourced from my own experiences and at times I am just a channel for emotions we all universally feel.

Why did you choose to launch the record label Frankenfish?
It was the right move for me to go out on my own. I spent many years on major labels and while there were many advantages, at the end of the day, it took four years each time to get a record out. That’s a lifetime for someone who wants to make music. You can’t move onto the next expression if something is held up like that. I realized that I’d rather take the chance on my own and at least know that any success, failure or delay was a result of something I was involved with. It was about taking control of my destiny.

What was the inspiration behind your latest EP, Heavyweight?  
Heavyweight is a collection of songs that are mostly a bit darker and more piano based. I worked on them just after recording Chesapeake (2011) and they fill that void of heartbreak and work together well as their own piece. The strings are stirring and beautiful and the final song, “Keep Going,” is a kind of mantra for us all to find strength in one another. It was an unusual song for me to write—it’s somber, but positive. The title track is a play on words. I was intrigued by the idea of a heavyweight boxing champion and the idea that two people could endlessly try to love one another, but only ever come out fighting.

With your complex and emotional sound, how do you channel these emotions when you perform?
I try to stay open to the night and feed off of the crowd. I use whatever energy I’ve got from the day, whether it’s stress or sadness or excitement, as the fuel to perform. I don’t have to go into the same place I was when I wrote the song, but I do have to fully connect with where I am in the moment.

What do you expect people to feel when listening to your music?
I couldn’t say. I just know that I’m always moved myself when I see that the audience is moved. I think part of the way I stay vulnerable in my songs is down to being very focused on the emotion I’m expressing and not entering into thoughts about how it will affect others. I don’t think about it much. If I can saturate myself in something that’s very true for me, I figure it will resonate with others somehow. We are all unique, but not so different.

What’s the hardest song that you’ve ever written?
I would say the hardest was actually also the easiest. “Elephants” was lyrically the easiest for me—the words came very fast while I was running down a mountain.  However, it took me six months to figure out the right chords and music to go with it. It was almost like a poem and I didn’t know how to frame it. Eventually, it all came together.

What’s next for 2013?
I’m loving my trips to Asia and would like to come back soon. I’m also planning a solo/duo tour of the States for June, as well as finalizing some work on a covers EP. I’d like to hibernate for a bit at some point and start sketching out songs for the next record. My wishlist is endless; I’m always working on something.

Rachael Yamagata will be performing at Thailand Cultural Center (Ratchadaphisek Rd., 02-262-3456. MRT Thailand Cultural Center) on Feb 28, 7pm. Tickets are B1,500-2,000 from Thaiticketmajor.