Speaking of success

Au makes mellow music

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos courtesy of Masscotte Entertainment

Many great new artists are discovered through the video-sharing website YouTube. One of the latest online hits is 26-year-old singer Maratree Sangsri (Au), whose beautiful and catchy new easy listening ballad "Ya Ma Pood (Don't Speak)" has proved very popular on the Internet.

Au, signed to indie label Masscotte, has a powerful but mellow voice that has attracted plenty of positive feedback from YouTube viewers and music lovers.

Student Weekly recently had a chat with Au on the phone to ask her about "Don't Speak" and her experiences in the music business.

Student Weekly: How did you come to work with Masscotte?

Au: An executive from the label heard me singing in a pub. He said that my performance made him happy. But he also said that when he signs somebody, he focuses more on behaviour than on singing skills.

Student Weekly: Is it true that you used to work as singer in Singapore?

Au: Yes. When I was 21 years old, my friend asked me to work in Singapore. The income was great, but I had to sing in Chinese, which was extremely difficult. I understood what each word meant, but it was very hard for me to express emotions and get through to the audience.

Student Weekly: How did you learn to sing in Chinese?

Au: I asked my friend to write the lyrics in Thai. Then, I studied how each word was pronounced by listening to lots of Chinese songs. It was really hard to imitate the correct accent and pronunciation for every word.

Student Weekly: Did that experience help you to improve as a singer?

Au: Not really. I think it helped me adjust to working with many different kinds of people. It also taught me to be very patient, because I had to work very hard. I learned new types of choreography and performing techniques as well.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about the idea behind your single, "Don't Speak"?

Au: It was written by Pongpon Intanin, who thought I looked arrogant and probably didn't care much about love. The song is about a broken-hearted girl who won't accept that she's sad. She tells her ex-boyfriend to leave her alone so that she can try to get over him.

Student Weekly: What was it like to work in a record studio?

Au: It was hard. I had to find a way to sing that would convince listeners that I felt devastated. At first, my producer said he couldn't hear enough emotion, so I had to use a different kind of voice.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your next single?

Au: It's a song that describes different definitions of love. It's more upbeat than "Don't speak," so you should be able to move along with it!

Student Weekly: Do you have any message for your listeners?

Maratree: "Don't Speak" is a positive song. It's really about realising how precious you are. Some sad people try to hurt themselves, but this song says that living with tears is useless. Everybody is strong enough to stand by themselves if they really try.