Rosy rock

Peach and Beam team up

By Tatat Bunnag and Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos are courtesy by Spicy Disc

Actors who decide to become musicians are often the target of ridicule from serious music fans. However, occasionally there is an exception like Pachara Chirathivat (Peach), who is proving to be both a fine actor and singer.

Peach recently teamed up with renowned musician and producer Pakorn Musikaboonlert (Beam) to make music with his new rock band, White Rose.

Music has actually been an integral part of Peach’s life all along. He played a young rock musician in the hit film Suck Seed, then formed a band called Rooftop a few years back. Peach also mentioned his love of music in many interviews, adding that he planned to release his own album one day.

White Rose explores Peach and Beam’s shared interest in both electronic and rock music, as can be heard on their new single, “Sunya Thee Mai Jing (Dear You).”

Student Weekly recently caught up with Peach and Beam to ask them about White Rose and their dynamic as a music-making team.

Student Weekly: What’s the story behind your band name, White Rose?

Beam: The lyrics of our first single, “Free Fall,” are a bit political. I’m really interested in politics, historical events, big ideas and major movements. White Rose was actually the name of a non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany, consisting of students from the University of Munich back in 1941. I’m really impressed with how brave these people were. Peach thought it would be a cool name for our band when I suggested it.

Peach: I had a picture of an ideal rock band in my head — a group of people who have same interests and who love the same kind of music. I wanted it to be like a small group with our own culture.

Student Weekly: Is White Rose a political band?

Peach: Not really. Our songs are as much about love and relationships as they are about things that are happening in our society. But I think that people should pay attention to the political situation in Thailand. If we want to live in a democratic country, we should learn how to exercise our rights.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your new single, “Dear You”?

Peach: It’s a sad song with elements of pop and electronic music. It’s about how when two people break up, the commitments and promises they made seem like lies. The lyrics are very personal, and it’s a part of me that not many people have seen before. I’m normally a fun-loving guy, but I have my sad moments, too.

I tried my best when we recorded this track, and I had a goose bumps when I heard the completed version. I hope other people love it.

Student Weekly: Peach, you write most of the words for your songs. Where do you get ideas for lyrics?

Peach: From everything around me. Sometimes I get ideas from conversations with friends or from books that I’ve read. I also try to take notes every time I go out. I feel most comfortable singing my own lyrics. If you sing your own song, nobody else can do it better than you.

Student Weekly: How do you feel about the perceived cliché of actors wanting to become rock stars?

Peach: When I said that I was working on a musical project, a lot of people thought that I’d be doing pop dance music like a K-pop boy band, which isn’t what I’m into at all!

What you see on TV or in movies are just characters that I play. It doesn’t mean that I want to make commercial pop music with my band. I wanted to be in a real band rather than work as a solo artist. I don’t want to be a pop singer. I formed this band with Beam to show people who I really am and what I really want to do.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your collaboration with the French band Tahiti 80?

Peach: Tahiti 80 are a great band. I first heard their song “Big Day” on FIFA, a video game I played when I was a kid. Now I hear their music whenever I go to a café. [Laughs.] I also have a lot of their music on my phone. It was great to work with them.

Beam: They’re really talented producers. I’ve followed their work since they worked with Sqweez Animal a few years ago. They’re really good at shaping the sound to make a track better.

Student Weekly: Can you describe what a White Rose live performance is like?

Peach: It’s quite hard to describe our live show. We’re a new band getting used to playing live. We’re still changing things and experimenting to get the best sound.

Beam: We use a drum machine for our live shows rather than using a real drummer because we want to make our band sound more electronic than a typical rock band. We plan to have a proper tour later this year, so come and check it out!

 

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