Music

Take Three

Twin rockers Bangkaew grow up for third album

 By Suwitcha Chaiyong

Photographs courtesy of Maker Head

 Did you Know: Celebrity twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen started acting on the TV series Full House when they were babies.

Caption: The twin brothers Bass (left) and Ball.

 A successful debut album is often labeled as a fluke. Success for a sophomore album is seen as an achievement. But it is the all-important third album that proves whether or not an artist will stay in the music business or will be sent packing.

That is where 20-year-old twin brothers Pongphoj Sinsuwan (Bass) and Pongphet Sinsuwan (Ball), better known as the rock band Bangkaew, find themselves. Following more than 100 concerts in Thailand and shows in Malaysia and the UK, Bangkaew are back with their third album, Rong Rian Phu Chai (All-Boys School).

Based on the early success of the album�s first single, �Rong Rian Phu Chai (All-Boys School),� Bangkaew seem to be passing the third album test quite well. The brothers are also quite confident that their latest album signals that the two have grown up � both musically and lyrically � since their first two albums, Phan Thai (Thai Breed) and Term Song (The Second Term).

Bass and Ball recently stopped by Student Weekly�s offices for a chat. As identical twins it is difficult to tell the two apart at first. However, once they start talking, the differences become clear. As the older brother (by 13 minutes), Bass is calmer and more mature, while Ball is more free-spirited with his answers. Here�s what they had to say about their new album and their musical growth.

Student Weekly: Following your second album, you guys toured pretty heavily. What concert impressed you the most?

Ball: In Malaysia, our Malaysian fans wrote welcome notes in Thai script for us. They knew all our songs and could sing along.

Bass: I was impressed that there was no fighting at the concert even though there were thousands of people. It was great.

Student Weekly: You also performed in the UK. How was that?

Bass: We have friends who are musicians in the UK, so we joined them for a music festival in Leeds.

Each band in UK was unique and had their own style. There were fewer limits when creating a song. They could even use bad language and criticise anyone they wanted.  In Thailand, every band targets the same audience, so our music all sounds alike.

Student Weekly: Let�s talk about your latest album. Why do you say your music is more grown up?

Bass: Our music is more complicated, especially the song �Po Tua (Adequate).� For that one, the guitar notes are much harder to play. The song also has guitar and drum solos that we composed ourselves.

Student Weekly: How have your lyrics changed?

Ball: Before we always talked about life at school, but this time we have another perspective. This time we talk about guys at all-boys schools. In general, our lyrics are also more playful.  

Student Weekly: Your first hit song is �Rong Rian Phu Chai.� So did you both go to an all-boys school?

Ball: No. We went to Triamudom NomKao.

Student Weekly: So, unlike the guys in the song you two are familiar with girls and aren�t shy to hit on them, right?

Ball: We haven�t paid much attention to having girlfriends. When we were in high school, we already had our band and were playing pubs. We were more focused on becoming musicians and having our own album than anything else.

Student Weekly: In your promotional pictures you two wear a lot of make-up. Do you use cosmetics every day?

Ball: Not at all. We just clean our faces with water. And you can see our hair is getting dry because it is dyed a lot.

Student Weekly: OK, so what do you guys like to do in your free time?

Bass: I like to play snooker and football.

Ball: I don�t like snooker, but we both collect a lot of console games. We have a room to store them. We don�t play them a lot, but we like to collect them.

Vocabulary

fluke (n): a lucky or unusual thing that happens by accident, not because of planning or skill
script (n): a set of letters in which a language is written
target (v): to try to have an effect on a particular group of people hit on somebody
(phrasal v): to start talking to somebody to show them that you are sexually attracted to them