The local music industry has seen many acts move from indie to major labels. Somphol Rungphanit (vocals), Piyawat Meekruea (guitar), Prateep Siri-issranan (guitar), Eaksiri Kumbungpai (bass) and Krittapong Sakulnam-anek (drums) of 25hours last year jumped on the bandwagon by signing with Genie Records, under GMM Grammy, after a seven-year stint with the independent Believe Records.
Following the record deal, the rock quintet released three singles: Suka Yoo Hon Dai (Where Is Happiness?), Rang Nom Tuang (Gravity) and Mai Khoey (Never) and are rolling out their third studio album, Mom & Pop Shop, which features synth rock confections. The full-length album will be unleashed at their upcoming solo show, "25hours Mom & Pop Shop Live Concert". Frontman Somphol, also known as Lham, talked to Life about the group's change of direction.
How has the first year been with Genie Records? How much do you have to adapt working for a major label?
Not much in terms of music, because we finished writing songs and recording a demo before signing here. Genie gives us total freedom in that sense. The label however gives additional support and fills in the missing parts to make our work 100% complete. For example, they allowed us to work with Montonn Jira and to have the album mixed and mastered in New York. With their 16 years worth of experience, Genie has worked with a lot of artists. They are a veteran label. We debuted under a small indie label and had been working there for seven years. In terms of management and their ways of thinking, it's of course different. It's not that one is better than the other. But I would say the context is just different. So we learn more on how to adapt into a new work environment. It's like going to a new school and getting to know new people.
How about the creative process?
People may think that when we join a major record company like GMM Grammy we must follow a certain direction. But in fact, Nick (Wichian Rerkpaisan, executive vice-president -- music production and promotion of GMM Music) gives us artistic freedom while the label takes care of promotion, sales and all that. So that's quite clear from the beginning.
So this in a way marks a new era for 25hours?
I think so, because our way of thinking and the ideas behind each song are from a new perspective. The fresh new sounds and deeper messages reflect who we are and what we think today. For this album, we've become more mature and have been through some life experiences, changes and learned about uncertainty, so we put these thought-provoking messages in our songs. As artists, we think it's important to make music that is both entertaining and inspiring. The art direction is however relaxed. We're intentionally presenting deep thoughts in an accessible way because a lot of our listeners are from the younger generation. The philosophy of life is not necessarily always difficult to understand.
You have also added an electronic sensibility to your work..
We need to give credit to Montonn, who works as our co-producer and is involved heavily in the production process of this album. After joining Genie, we were giving the finishing touches to our tracks and we thought of adding synthesizers. It took us some time to find some experts on this until we got introduced to Montonn and finally started working together. We shared and exchanged so many ideas and everything turned out very well. He's really the man because he has extensive experience and knows a lot about recording. With 25hours' style, our music has been direct and simple. Montonn has complemented our sound by adding more layers and textures. Besides the fresh new sounds, working with him has also broadened our musical horizons.
Then why Mom & Pop Shop?
One day my girlfriend said "mom and pop shop". First I didn't really care what it meant but I just liked how it sounded. It reminded me of the Pet Shop Boys and their 80s cool synth pop. Meaning a small, family-owned grocery store, it reflects simplicity, sufficiency, happiness, a local friendly community. It somehow describes the concept of our new album which serves as like the same old down-to-earth store -- in contrast to big retailers -- offering fresh, homemade goodies to regulars.
What will be in 'store' at the concert?
In addition to tracks from our previous and new albums alongside special guests that we can't reveal just yet, we give importance to lighting design. In world-class concerts, we've seen amazing light shows where they synchronise concert lighting with the music. So in this show, we have Pol Huiprasert, the creative mind behind several top local productions, to design the lighting and visuals for us. We're treating it as a piece of instrument which will be integral to the live act in order to add more vibes and dimensions to the show. The audience will feel like visiting the home of 25hours. My sketches and drawings will also be featured here and there on stage.
- 25hours will take the stage for '25hours Mom & Pop Shop Live Concert' on Aug 29 at 6pm at Muang Thai GMM Live House at CentralWorld.
- Tickets cost 1,200 baht and are available at 02-262-3456, or www.thaiticketmajor.com.
