Top pop trio tells all
By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb
Did you know
Wanyai learned how to fix a car from YouTube videos.
YouTube sensations Room 39 haven’t been changed by fame. The talented trio — 31-year-old guitarist Olran Chujai (Wanyai), 29-year-old singer Chutimon Vitchitrisadee (Mon) and 25-year-old singer Isara Kitnitchee (Tom) — is still down-to-earth and easy-going.
Room 39 recently released their adorable new single, “Tham Pueak Thoe (Thee Rak) (For Her [My Dear])” which is the group’s first song to feature Wanyai on lead vocals.
Student Weekly recently met up with Room 39 at the LOVEiS office, where they chatted about everything from their new single to seeing ghosts.
Student Weekly: Can you tell us about “For Her [My Dear]”?
Tom: Mon and I have been the lead vocalists on all of our singles so far, so we wanted Wanyai to have a song as well.
Wanyai: Some of our fans wanted to hear me sing, so we came up with this song. Along with the songwriter, Boyd Kosiyabong, we decided that I shouldn’t sing a love song because it wouldn’t suit my personality. “For Her” is about doing good things for my family.
Student Weekly: Did your mother know that the song was written for her?
Wanyai: Yes. When mom heard the demo of the song, she knew it was about her because she told my sister about it and said how much she appreciated it.
Student Weekly: Mon, why did you decide to dye your hair blonde?
Mon: There was no special reason. I just like to try new things. I also dyed my hair when I was a university student in Japan.
Student Weekly: What was it like studying in Japan?
Mon: The competition at the international university wasn’t too intense, but I had to work part time to support myself financially. I worked in a hotel, at an Italian restaurant, and even on a farm. It was tiring. Sometimes I had to eat cabbage for a week when there was no work available.
Student Weekly: Have you ever performed at an unusual event?
Tom: Many times. We once performed at a boat racing festival. It was unusual because the other singers performed look tung and folk music. But the audience liked us.
Wanyai: Playing at personal parties is unusual for me. We’ve performed at birthday and family parties where the audience is just a small group of people.
Student Weekly: Do you ever experience accidents during gigs?
Wanyai: In Chiang Mai, a speaker fell onto the head of a woman in the audience. She was hurt, but she refused to be taken to hospital until after we’d played our last song!
Student Weekly: Wanyai and Tom, is it true that you’ve seen ghosts?
Wanyai: I saw a ghost for the first time in the US. I was delivering food one night, and I left the car headlights on in a dark street. When I was walking back, I saw a guy in the car, but he disappeared when I reached the car. The next day, a chef from where I was working saw the same guy sitting in the car, but was in the car and didn’t see him.
Tom: I’ve often seen ghosts, but I’ve never communicated with them. I’m not afraid of them.
Student Weekly: What did they look like?
Wanyai: People usually imagine horrible ghosts, but they look like normal people. Sometimes a part of their body might be missing though.
Tom: They’re nothing like the scary images you see in movies.
Student Weekly: Do you think it’s still worthwhile releasing albums on CD?
Wanyai: Our fans have said they like to collect CDs. They prefer to have a package, and they like to have us autograph it. Aside from featuring our previous singles, our CD will include a bonus track and a cover song.
Vocabulary
- sensation (n): something or somebody that causes a lot of interest and excitement
fame (n): the state of being known and talked about by many people
down-to-earth (adj): sensible and practical, in a friendly and helpful way
adorable (adj): very attractive and easy to feel love for
appreciate (v): to be grateful for something that somebody has done
dye (v): to change the colour of something using a special liquid
competition (n): a situation in which people compete with one another for something that not everybody can have
intense (adj): very strong; extreme
tiring (adj): making you feel the need to sleep or rest
cabbage (n): a round vegetable with large green, white, or purple leaves that can be eaten raw or cooked
speaker (n): a piece of musical equipment that the sound comes out of
communicate (v): to make your ideas, feelings, thoughts, etc. known to other people so that they understand them
worthwhile (adj): important, enjoyable, interesting, etc.
autograph (v): to sign your name on something for somebody to keep, usually because you are famous
