Topless popster

Tony Phee scares up a nice one

By Tatat Bunnag
Photographs are courtesy by WerkGang

After shooting a homemade music video just for fun at friend's house a few years ago, 28-year-old Thananchai Chanachoti (Tony Phee) became a pop-rock sensation when his video "Glua (Scare)" got more than 100,000 YouTube views in just a few weeks.

The song went on to top radio charts, and Tony Phee has since landed a series of high-profile concerts and interviews and won over thousands of fans. Most recently he signed a record deal with Grammy and WerkGang.

With Tony Phee's new single "Khon Tee San Dee (The Nice One) from his debut album now enjoying the No. 1 spot on Fat Radio for the third week, Student Weekly grabbed some time to meet up with the singer-songwriter to discuss his first album, his record deal and the video's artistic and promotional success.

Student Weekly: Congratulations on your album release and the success of the new song. How has the feedback been so far?

Tony Phee: Thank you so much. My album came out more than a month ago, and it's doing very well. Lot's of fans have said many good things on my Facebook page. That's really nice. Unfortunately, because of the flooding problems at the moment, my concerts and all the touring plans have been postponed for awhile.

Student Weekly: Why do you call yourself Tony Phee?

Tony Phee: My nickname is Tony and I'm really afraid of ghosts. My first song was called "Scare," so the name just popped into my head.

Student Weekly: How did you get signed to Grammy?

Tony Phee:I was working at Grammy as a songwriter, so I knew many people at the label. With the unexpected success of the "Scare" video, WerkGang producer Krit Kritsanavarin invited me to join in his label.

Student Weekly: What's made the video so successful?

Tony Phee:I think it's because the video is very funny; and it helps that it was made cheaply. Fortunately, I have a lot of friends who happen to be celebrities, so there are a bunch of famous people in my video, like Q from Flure, Pui from Yellow Fang, Gui from Samurai Loud and Scott from The Moffats. I think that's probably the reason it got a lot of attention.

Student Weekly: Many people have said that "Scare" reminds them of the British band Coldplay. What do you think about that?

Tony Phee:Yeah, I've been told the same thing by my fans many times. They say it sounds like the song "Yellow." But to be honest, I hadn't heard that song when I wrote "Scare".

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about the latest single, "The Nice One"?

Tony Phee:The song is about people who've been through many failed relationships in their life and have given up on love. But once they've found the right one, it seems like all the bad things in the past have all vanished. The song also features Q from Flure.

Student Weekly: Why do you often perform topless?

Tony Phee: [Laughs.] It started with the video for "Scare." At the time, I just wanted to be funny and wanted to be recognized - and it really worked. Since then, every time I get on stage to perform, either my bandmates or the audience always convinces me to take off my shirt. It became my trademark, I guess. [Laughs.]