Message music

Pae has his say

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb

Former Slur guitarist Arak Amornsupasiri (Pae) has achieved great popularity since he acted in TV dramas in 2009, as well as in the romantic comedy show, Jaew Jai Rai Kab Khun Chai Tae Wa Da (Nanny and Spoiled Boss) with actress Aum Patcharapa.

After leaving Slur, Pae also embarked on a solo singing career, releasing his debut album Auto Erotic in 2010. Pae’s album was nominated for several music awards, even though his singing was criticised quite a lot. Eventually, Pae won the Kom Chad Luek Award for best new artist.

Pae has recently been promoting his second album, Pae Arak & the Peesad Band, on which he performs with two other musicians. The singles from the album are “Gai (Chicken),” a song about how people torture animals for food, and “Somsri,” which is about student pregnancy.

Student Weekly recently met up with Pae at a café, where the down-to-earth star told us about his solo career.

Student Weekly: Did you stop eating chicken after you wrote the song “Chicken”?

Pae: I stopped eating chicken when the single was about to be released. I’d like to be a vegetarian, but it’s difficult to do.

Student Weekly: Where do you get your inspiration for writing songs?

Pae: I get inspired by issues that I feel deeply about. “Somsri” was inspired by the father of a guitarist in Peesad Band. He suggested that I write about the issue of student pregnancy. I think that we have poor management in handling this issue in Thailand, so I decided to write a song about it.

Student Weekly: What do you think could be done to solve the problem of teen pregnancy?

Pae: Proper birth control would help solve the problem.

Student Weekly: Do you agree with people who describe your songs as songs for life?

Pae: No. I tell stories with folk songs. Songs for life are songs written to fight for a particular purpose or belief. But I guess “Chicken” could be called a song for a chicken’s life! [Laughs.]

Student Weekly: What do you think about people criticising your singing?

Pae: That’s just how I sing. After my first album, I wanted to improve my skills. I took a singing course to learn how to sing steadily in tune, and I think it’s fine now. “Chicken” is hard to sing because it has some high notes.

Student Weekly: How did you feel about winning a music award after receiving a lot of criticism?

Pae: People have the right to express their opinions. I don’t really care about their opinions, but I do care when people like Pod ModernDog and Tun Apartment Khun Pa tell me that they like my songs. Even though I only received one award, it’s not a big deal. I finally got one, so now I can brag about it!

Student Weekly: How have you prepared to play the part of Lek Carabao in the upcoming movie, Young Bao?

Pae: I just intend to act like him. I watched movies that he’s been in, read his books and listened to all of Carabao’s songs. I feel fortunate because I can talk to Lek Carabao about how I should act, even though he’s really busy. He’s nice and has a good sense of humour.

Student Weekly: Are you a Carabao fan?

Pae: I think everybody in this country is a fan of Carabao. After listening to their songs, I was impressed that they always write about different issues. Their music has lots of variety.

Student Weekly: Do you have any special message for our readers?

Pae: My new album has 15 songs that relate to various social issues. Please buy it. It’s unusual to find an album with a lot of songs like this these days.

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