Vamp versatility

Boy band releases heartfelt hit

By Tatat Bunnag
Photographs by Varuth Hirunyatheb

To young pop fans, it might seem like the fast-rising new group Vamp came out of nowhere. Vamp consists of seven good-looking guys — Phummiphat Vasupat (Toon), 23, Anusith Sangnimnuan (Bank), 23, Chuanchai Mahawongs (Win), 23, Surakiat Bunnag (Pan), 21, Thiradaj Thanajirachai (Yepun), 25, Nitiwit Boonmee (Time), 24 and Jirapat Chantaravipat (Pangpond), 21 — who are attracting plenty of young female fans with their looks and talent.

Though they haven’t released an album yet, Vamp have been busy recently promoting their latest pop dance single, “Hua-jai Wai (Heart Attack),” as well as their previous two singles, which have received heavy rotation on local pop radio stations.

Student Weekly recently interviewed all seven members of the group at RS Music HQ to gain an insight into the ever-expanding world of Vamp.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your new single, “Heart Attack”?

Time: “Heart Attack” is our third single. It’s an electro dance song that has a lot of singing and dancing. It’s quite different from our previous songs because it has a more accessible style and melody. We also added rapping parts which we wrote ourselves.

Student Weekly: How did Vamp first get together?

Yepun: We met more than a year ago after each of us passed auditions to be in the group. We were chosen from round 3,000 competitors, which was very fortunate for us.

Win: The audition was pretty tough. We had to show that we could sing, dance, act and even host a TV programme.

Student Weekly: What makes Vamp different from all the other boy bands?

Time: I think we can do better than just stick with the boy band formula. We’ve been trained to be all-round entertainers, not just good singers and dancers.

Toon: Each of us has a versatile and unique character, which makes us different from other groups.

Student Weekly: Why did you guys want to become singers originally?

Pangpond: I’m lucky in that my parents have always supported my dreams and decisions. I’ve wanted to be a singer since I was a little kid, but I was more into rock music before. I never thought that I’d end up in a boy band.

Time: I was inspired to become a singer because of the music from artists on the RS label. I’m the oldest member of the group, so I’m more familiar with older RS singers like James Ruangsak, Raffy and Nancy. I always hoped to become like them.

Student Weekly: What other music has influenced the group?

Toon: Before joining Vamp, we all had different tastes and listening habits. Time loves pop songs in the top 40 Billboard charts, while Yepun loves K-pop and Chinese pop. Pan listens to dance and electro, and I enjoy rock and heavy metal.

Student Weekly: What can fans expect at a typical Vamp concert?

Win: We’re quite theatrical. We sing and dance, and there are parts of the show where we act out various scenes. We like to get the crowd involved. We love audience participation.

Pan: Our live shows are the full Vamp experience.

Student Weekly: What do you have lined up for the coming months?

Bank: We’re working on our next single at the moment. It should be out around June.

Win: Besides music, some of us will be appearing in movies and TV dramas this year. You’ll see each of us popping up here and there throughout the year. We hope that our fans continue to support all our work!

 

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