Room 39 release an album
By Husnee Ngasakul
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb
Did you know
Tom runs the Cup D restaurant in Khon Kaen.
Since becoming YouTube sensations in 2011, Room 39 have established themselves as a professional band that can captivate audiences with their beautiful harmony singing.
After releasing hits single like “Nuang (Somewhat Worried),” “Chan Tong Koo Kab Thoe (I am Your Match)” and “Tham Pueak Thoe, Thee Rak (For Her, My Dear), the trio released their self-titled debut album, Room 39.
In recent times, the trio — 33-year-old guitarist Olran Chujai (Wanyai), 30-year-old singer Chutimon Vitchitrisadee (Mon) and 25-year-old singer Isara Kitnitchee (Tom) — have been busy touring around the country to promote their latest hit, “Chua Mong Ti Suay Ngam (Beautiful Moment).”
Student Weekly recently met up with Room 39 at the LoveIs office, where they told us about their album and some of their interesting gigs.
Student Weekly: How did you feel about being an opening act at the Lenka concert last year?
Wanyai: We felt honoured. Lenka is a world-class singer, so having the opportunity to be her opening act was something special.
Student Weekly: What was your recent performance in Yala like?
Wanyai: We’d been invited to perform there since we left the US to work in Thailand three years ago, but we felt uncertain. But friends in other bands told us to not worry because the people Yala were nice and the places to play were safe. So we decided to perform there. The city was quiet, but the pub was crowded and everybody had great fun.
Student Weekly: How about performing at the Comic Con event?
Tom: We initially felt awkward because the event focused on comics. There was a request for us to sing a soundtrack song from Japanese anime, but we couldn’t do that. We just tried our best to entertain the crowd. The audience was nice. They knew our songs and sang along with us.
Student Weekly: Why did you decide to call your album Room 39?
Wanyai: It’s our first album, and it’s like a diary of our experiences during last three years. Each single was meaningful at the time they were released. The album represents what we were like during this period.
Student Weekly: Since you wrote “Beautiful Moment” when you were in the US, why has it only recently been released as a single?
Tom: Because we wrote it ourselves, we were unsure about it. The song was actually rewritten several times until we felt comfortable with it.
Wanyai: This single was the last song for us to promote because the lyrics are about missing our fans. It’s like a finale. The song also represents the original sound we had in the US, with only one guitar.
Student Weekly: Can you tell us about your beautiful moments?
Wanyai: When I returned to Saraburi, my home town. Experiencing the familiar atmosphere when I was driving home brought back old memories. It was a beautiful moment when I met my family and friends.
Tom: It’s a beautiful moment whenever I do what I like doing. I like my job. I also enjoy going out for rides and seeing different people and things.
Student Weekly: Mon, why did you decide to get tattoos?
Mon: I had a big scar on my arm, and I’d thought about getting a tattoo to cover it since I was a high school student. The tattoo is a painting by an artist I like named Audrey Kawasaki. Her paintings are gentle. Now I have three tattoos.
Student Weekly: What would you say to a young person who wants to get a tattoo?
Mon: Don’t do it. It’s painful! [Laughs.] A tattoo will stay with you forever, so you have to find an artist you really trust. If you really want to get a tattoo, try to get it in an area that you can easily cover with clothes.
Student Weekly: Do you have any advice for aspiring YouTube stars?
Wanyai: You have to find your distinctive style and present it naturally. Don’t expect to become famous on YouTube. Just try to be happy with what you do.
Tom: Don’t try to make yourself so different that you end up looking weird. Just try to realise your potential. You don’t have to sing on YouTube. You can do something different like create a talk show or a food tutorial.
Vocabulary
- sensation (n): a person or thing that causes a lot of surprise, interest and excitement
captivate (v): to keep somebody’s close attention by being extremely interesting, attractive, etc.
world-class (adj): as good as the best in the world
awkward (adj): making you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable
finale (n): an ending to something
distinctive (adj): having a quality or characteristic that makes something different and easily noticed
realise (v): to achieve something important that you very much want to do
potential (n): qualities that exist and can be developed
