Music

The four Musketeers

Rookie rockers have something to offer

The music world is a tough and competitive business, especially for rookie bands on indie record labels. But newcomers Musketeers have already managed to make their mark with their distinctive modern rock sound.

• Did you know •

The Three Musketeers novel was written by French writer Alexandre Dumas and first published in 1844.

Musketeer's debut album Left Right and Something earned the band a nomination for the best new artist prize at the Seed Awards. They were also nominated for Season Awards in the categories of best new artist, best group, best producer and best album.

Student Weekly recently caught up with Musketeers - 22-year-old singer Chakree Lapboonruang (Ten), 22-year-old guitarist Rawin Mitjitranon (Big), 22-year-old guitarist Pakpoom Nimlamai (Poo) and 23-year-old bassist Sanwit Whansanit (Doi) - at the Believe Records office. The four friends enthusiastically told us about their background, their music and their debut album.

Student Weekly : How did you come up with your band name?

Big: It's the name of a brand of chocolate bar I found in the US. I liked the sound of the word, so I asked the other guys if they wanted to call the band Musketeers. We didn't actually know what it meant until Doi looked it upin a dictionary.

Student Weekly : What was your first live performance like?

Poo: We were law students at Chiang Mai University and we were asked to play at a party organised by the law faculty. We were a bit stressed because we were an amateur band and we had to perform for alumni who were now judges and district attorneys. We practised every day before the gig and got some good feedback after we played.

Student Weekly : What does the title Left Right and Something mean?

Poo: The left side of the brain is used for creativity, and "right" refers to the action of playing music.

Ten: "Something" refers to our fate of being law students drawn together to form a band and start a music career.

Student Weekly : Can you tell us about your song that won the first prize at the Hunger Free Music Festival in 2007?

Ten: Hunger Free Music Festival was arranged by a private organisation called Action Aid, which helps poor people around the world. Our song "Bang Pan Nam Jai (Share)" was the first song we ever wrote. The other participants wrote songs with metaphors, but we just used frank words to express a direct meaning.

Student Weekly : How did you guys react when you won your first award?

Ten: We felt overwhelmed. At the festival, there was a huge billboard with our picture on it, so signed it and took it back to Chiang Mai. We couldn't get it into a taxi, so I had to take it back in a tuk-tuk. [Laughs.]

Student Weekly : Ten, where do you get ideas to write songs?

Ten: From real-life experiences. "Kwam Song Jam (Memory)" was inspired by my friend telling me about how much he missed his ex-girlfriend.

Student Weekly : Were any of the songs inspired by the other band members?

Poo: I asked Ten to write a song about serious relationships for my brother's wedding, and he wrote "Khong Kwan (A Present)." When we performed the song at the wedding, the bride cried with happiness. My brother also liked it.

Student Weekly : How do you feel about being nominated for so many awards for your first album?

Ten: It's a big surprise. We're a new band, so we're amazed to be nominated in the same categories as our idols. Even though we didn't win any of the awards, it encouraged us to keep working hard.

	musketeer (n): a soldier from the past who used an early type of gun called a musket competitive (adj): a situation in which people or organisations compete to be more successful than the others rookie (n): a person who has just started an activity and has very little experience enthusiastically (adv): with excitement and energy amateur (adj): doing something for enjoyment or interest, not as a job alumni (n): a former student of a university, school or college district attorney (n): a lawyer who is responsible for bringing criminal charges against somebody in a particular area or state fate (n): the things that will happen or have happened to somebody draw (v): to attract or interest somebody metaphor (n): a word or phrase used in an imaginative way to describe something else, in order to show that the two things have the same qualities frank (adj): honest and direct direct (adj): saying exactly what you mean in a way that nobody can pretend not to understand overwhelm (v): to have such a strong effect on somebody that they don't know how to react billboard (n): an large board displayed on the side of a building or on the side of the road used for advertising