 |
 |
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
Music Country roadBy Tatat
Bunnag Punch hits the long and dusty trail to success
But Punch list of accomplishments isn�t limited to the entertainment world. In spite of her hectic professional schedule, she was also able to complete her studies this year at Suan Dusit Rajabhat University with a degree in communication arts.
Nothing seems to slow Punch down. She�s currently back on the charts with her newest album, the Thai-country flavoured Nak Rong Bpuan Foon (Dusty Singer). Punch visited the Student Weekly offices recently to talk about her new album, her new sound and her successful life on the long, dusty road. Student Weekly: Tell us about the title of your new album. Does it represent who you are? Punch: Yes. The titles of my all my previous albums also represent who I am. But I think this new title really fits me the most.
Punch: [Laughs.] No. It�s about my long musical career. I mean, I�ve been a singer since I was a little kid. Since I was 9 years old, I travelled with my family from town to town, singing at different shows and parties. I sang at everything from temple fairs to ordination ceremonies to wedding parties before I signed with Grammy. I�ve had a lot of experiences, and I�ve seen many things � good times and rough times. So, it�s like we�ve been through many things along the dusty road. We had to walk through all the smoke and the rain, but it�s OK. It�s good experience that makes you a stronger person. So now I�m grown up, and I�m a dusty singer. I�m still doing thing that I love. Music is a part of my life. Student Weekly: So that means your new songs are more grown up, too? Punch: Absolutely. You can obviously tell from the lyrics, which really differ from my last album. It�s not about all the pain and heartbreak anymore. The songs are about things in a more positive and encouraging way.
Punch: I�ve just released the first single �Plae Waa Yang Haai Jai [Still Breathing].� It�s a good example of one of the encouraging songs on the album. Since my first album, I�ve received supportive fan mail that helped me a lot when I felt down or tired during a long tour. So, this album is like a thank you from me to all my fans. Student Weekly: Did you need to change your singing style much to accommodate the new music? Punch: Well, all the songs are different. Each song requires a different style of singing. For example, my second single, �Sar Barn Song Song [Distrusted Promise]� sounds like Thai country music. So, on that song I had to sound like I wasn�t paying that much attention to how I was singing. It made the song more fun and loose. For ballads, I had to make my voice crack a bit to make it sound emotional and touching. Student Weekly: Since your first album, you�ve always worn a T-shirt and jeans. Is that your fashion concept? Would you ever wear a skirt?
I�ve talked to my stylists since my first album, and they pretty much know my style. I like it simple � jeans and sneakers. They only helped by adding a few gimmicks and some accessories. Like this time, I�ve got some bangles and bolo ties to match the country-rock feeling of the album. Student Weekly: What do you like to do when you have free time? Punch: I love to go to the cinema to see new movies. It�s one of my favourite hobbies. Student Weekly: Besides the release of your new album this month, we heard that you also just graduated from university. How did you balance your schedule between work and school? Punch: It took me four full years to finish, and I managed my time by communicating with the people at Grammy. I gave them all my class schedules and made plans at the beginning of each semester. I also have to thank all my good friends at school. They helped me out a lot � from keeping up with lectures to reminding me about homework and exams and stuff. I was really lucky!
|
It�s been a great couple of years
for 23-year-old singer Vorakarn Rodjanavut (Punch). With two chart-topping
albums, a successful countrywide tour and winning last year�s Seed Award for
female artist of the year, her career is definitely on the fast
track.
Punch got her nickname from an uncle who named her after a popular
brand of clothing from the �80s.
Student Weekly:
Why Dusty Singer? Does that mean you think of yourself as dirty?
Student Weekly:
Can you give us an example of that?
Punch: [Laughs.] No. Probably not and
probably never. It makes me feel very weird and uncomfortable. I don�t think
I�ll ever get used to it. 
