Q&A: Crescendo

August 29th, 2008

Almost famous Musically, Crescendo means to gradually get louder and this quintet certainly lives up to their moniker. Bassist Nor, drummer Ake, guitarist Champ and percussionist Jung started afresh with their third singer, Nat, to release their latest album, Four Days, and it’s already spawning chart-climbing hits.

BK: How come you guys seem to change vocalists every
album?
Nor: Singers are usually problematic. They are, by nature, inclined to be self-centered and always want to be in the spotlight. Don’t get me wrong. There are singers who prefer being in a band, too. Take Bank from Clash. He wouldn’t leave his band mates to release a solo album.

BK: Why did you choose Nat?
Jung: While Nat might not be that amazing, we think it’s best to pick someone who can be our friend. It doesn’t matter if you sing well. If you have the wrong attitude, you are better off on your own.

BK: What about you, Nat? Is it diffi cult to get along with
these guys?
Nat: [laughs] I am adjusting. They are fun to hang out and work with. Many people have asked if I was stressed by having to fi ll the big shoes left by the previous singers. Strangely enough, I am not. I compete with myself instead of worrying about being in their shadow.

BK: What has been the biggest challenge so far?
Nat: Live performance. These guys never ever play like when we rehearse! They improvise and play differently each time we perform. It’s a nightmare for a singer like me. Jung: Well, that’s why we “play” music. We just have fun with the notes and go wherever the music takes us.
Nor: I remember Nat gawking at me when I decided to extend a solo riff.

BK: Why Four Days?
Ake: We spent months running through the whole thing from composing lyrics to rehearsing, so it took us only four days in a studio to record the album. It’s as simple as that.
Nor: Before Champ used to be the little brother of the band. He now has more say and introduced rock infl uences into the album. So it sounds quite different from our previous efforts.
Champ: We experimented quite a lot with this album.

BK: What if it is too new for the fans?
Nor: Not every song in the album is difficult. If you find some songs inaccessible, just skip them. But come on, if you can listen to K-pop and not understand a single word, our album shouldn’t be that hard to get.

BK: Are you lucky number three?
Nat: Definitely! With my talent, everything is possible.
[laughs] See? They trained me well. I was told that a singer needs to be a bit cocky.

Nuttaporn Srisirirungsimakul

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