Prik’s project

Hit songwriter forms Savina

By Tatat Bunnag
Photos by Varuth Hiranyatheb

After years of writing hit singles for other artists, 28-year-old singer-songwriter Weerapat Wonglam (Prik) decided to form Savina, a band that could allow him to become a rock star in his own right.

As one of the most in demand songwriters at Sony Records, Prik has penned hit singles for artists like Sugar Eyes, Data and Vespa Ster. When he decided to start writing songs for himself, Prik recruited three friends — 22-year-old guitarist Sirapob Kaewsuk (James), 26-year-old bassist Watunyoo Pantong (Yuu) and 22-year-old drummer Nattapat Ngaecharoenkul (Ben) — to complete the line-up of Savina.

Savina recently released their latest song, “Pra-got Tua (Appear),” which follows on from their successful debut single, “Mai Chai Kwam Fun (Not a Dream).” “Appear” is a romantic rock ballad that has Prik wishing the girl of his dreams would magically appear.

Student Weekly recently caught up with Savina to chat about the band and their music.

Student Weekly: What does the name Savina mean?

Prik: At first I had no idea what to call the band, but I knew that I wanted the name to start with the letter S. I thought it would be cool because some of our favourite bands, like Slot Machine, Singular and Scrubb, all have names beginning with S. I then came across the word “Savina,” which is a type of chilli pepper. My nickname also means chilli, so I thought it would be a good band name.

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

Prik: Our new single is a medium tempo song. It’s less rocking than our first single, “Not a Dream.” The lyrics of “Appear” describe the lonely feelings of somebody who is desperately searching for love. It would be nice if your soul mate could just emerge from nowhere.

Yuu: It’s a great rock ballad with a romantic feeling.

Student Weekly: Prik, you worked as a successful songwriter for other artists. Why did you decide to start your own band?

Prik: My first band broke up years ago, but I never stopped wanting to be musician or dreaming about releasing my own music. Fortunately, I got a job as songwriter for Sony Music and Bec-Tero a few years ago, so I had a good opportunity to present my songs while I was working there.

Student Weekly: Is it harder or easier to write songs for your own band?

Prik: It’s definitely much harder. [Laughs.] I don’t know why. I guess I just concentrate too much when I write songs for Savina. The process is different when I write songs for other people. I normally just look at the appearance and style of the singer and try to come up with melody that suits them. But sometimes I have no idea what kind of direction I should go in with my own band.

Student Weekly: You guys recently played at the Pattaya Music Festival. What was that like?

Prik: It was awesome! We really enjoyed playing and appreciated the opportunity to perform at such a big event. We have to thank the Bec-Tero team and all the fans that were there to support us.

Student Weekly: How would you describe a typical Savina performance for anybody who hasn’t seen you live?

Ben: We don’t talk much when we’re on stage. We focus more on energy and rocking when we perform.

Prik: Don’t judge us by what you see in our music videos. We’re not really that cute on stage! [Laughs.]

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