Soulful sounds

The Parkinson find success

By Tatat Bunnag
Photos by Varuth Hiranyatheb

The success of their debut single, “Ja Borg Ther Wa Ruk (Tell Her That I Love),” which was number one on the Cat Radio Chart for four consecutive weeks, has made pop trio The Parkinson one of the most talked about Thai bands of the year.

The band was formed a few years ago by 26-year-old Nipat Kamjornpreecha (Karn), who was at the time a student at Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Music. Karn was joined by 26-year-old drummer Arithat Kueajitkulanun (Beer) and 30-year-old bassist Natthawit Odaki (Toe) to complete the line-up.

After playing as a house band at jazz bars around Bangkok, The Parkinson caught the attention of the Spicy Disc label, who offered them a contact. Their first single, “Tell Her That I Love,” is a soul-infused pop song about falling in love that showcases Karn’s guitar playing and soulful singing.

Student Weekly recently caught up with The Parkinson at the Spicy Disc office to chat about the band and their music.

Student Weekly: Why did you decide to name your band The Parkinson?

Karn: I started playing music and forming bands when I was a student at Silpakorn University. When we started playing gigs in bars, we didn’t have a band name until a fan came up to talk to us after a show one night. He said that they way I moved on stage reminded him of a guy who has Parkinson’s disease! [Laughs.] I thought that it might be a good name for the band.

Student Weekly: How did you end up signing with Spicy Disc?

Garn: It happened by chance a few years ago. My friend’s band played regularly at a popular jazz bar called Brown Sugar, but they couldn’t make it one night and asked if my band could play instead.

Toe: It turned out that Spicy Disc label owner Pachara Chirathivat happened to be there as a customer that night. He was impressed by our show and asked if we wanted to release music with his label.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your hit single, “Tell Her That I Love”?

Garn: It’s a love song that I wrote when I was at university. I enjoy soul music, and I think that lyrics about love and relationships suit that style of music. You can express the deep feelings and emotions of the lyrics perfectly with soul music. The feeling of falling in love with somebody is one of the greatest feelings in my opinion.

Student Weekly: How did you guys end up playing soul music?

Garn: It’s something that we all love. Each of us is also interested in other types of music like rock, funk, jazz, disco and ska, but soul is the style of music where we all can meet in the middle. It’s what we feel comfortable playing when we jam together.

Student Weekly: Who are some of your favourite artists to listen to?

Garn: I think we’re all huge fans of Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Jamiroquai.

Student Weekly: How would you describe a typical Parkinson performance for those who haven’t seen you live before?

Beer: Our live shows are unpredictable. Sometimes we play the same set of songs, but we play them differently. It depends on the mood of each band member on any given day. [Laughs.]

Garn: We always play music from our feelings, so it’s raw and honest.

 

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