Non plus

Teen star gets close

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb

Since being crowned champion of The Voice Thailand, Thanon Jumroen (Non) has been busy touring throughout the kingdom. He also performed a show in Sydney, Australia.

Because of his hectic schedule, the 17-year-old singer recently moved with his mother and brother to Bangkok from home town in Phuket.

In contrast to his first fun and cheeky single, “Mai Koei (Never),” the down-to-earth singer has lately been promoting his beautiful new ballad, “Mai Sanid (Not Close).”

Student Weekly recently met up with Non, who was witty and fun to talk to as he told us about his new single and his live performances.

Student Weekly: How did you feel while performing “Not Close” for the first time on The Voice Kids Thailand?

Non: I felt frustrated because I performed there as the champion of The Voice Thailand, and it was my first performance of the song. We didn’t have much time to prepare, so my voice was still croaky from rehearsing. But my fans made the day successful. They prepared neon signs and sang along with me. I received so much energy from the audience that my voice came back strongly.

Student Weekly: Was “So Close” inspired by your real-life experience?

Non: Yes. When I was in junior high school, I had a crush on my best friend for a couple years. It was so awkward. We eventually separated to different schools. My music team created a lot of songs for me, but we eventually chose “So Close” because it’s about my experience. I can express the meaning of the song well.

Student Weekly: Do you have any message for the friend that you had a crush on?

Non: Please pay attention to studying! [Laughs.]

Student Weekly: What was it like recording the single in the studio?

Non: It was hard. When I got emotional, I cried and couldn’t control my voice. The producer took the pronunciation of each word seriously. If I pronounced just one word incorrectly, I had to sing the whole verse again.

Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your recent gig in Sydney?

Non: It was great fun. We performed at a small venue, but it was totally packed. I was surprised when everybody sang along with “Never” loudly. I didn’t expect so many people to know my songs. I was very happy.

Student Weekly: Was that your first time travelling overseas?

Non: Yes. I used to worry about going overseas because I wasn’t confident speaking English. I imagined that I had to speak perfectly in another country, but it wasn’t like that. Nobody was strict about grammar rules, so I stopped worrying about it.

Student Weekly: Have you ever made a mistake during a live performance?

Non: I get anxious quite easily. During a performance at Siam Square, the crowd was packed and screaming loudly. I was very new at that time, so I got nervous and forgot the lyrics. I had to point the microphone to the fans! I felt embarrassed, but the fans weren’t serious. They helped me sing until I was able to continue the song properly.

Student Weekly: How did you become interested in beatboxing?

Non: I saw somebody on TV who could imitate many different sounds, including car and gun noises. I thought that if I learned to do that, I could use it to create a fun song. I started learning how to beatbox with YouTube, but eventually I had to stop because my mom and brother said it was too noisy!

Student Weekly: Why should music fans download your songs?

Non: A lot of people download songs illegally. My song was available illegally on 4shared only an hour after being officially released. But downloading songs legally encourages people in the music business to keep releasing new music. I hope that everybody does the right thing.

comments powered by Disqus