Indie trio excite with new sound

It can be hard for indie bands to grab the attention of a wide audience. But with their single “Ploi (Miss)” attracting 21 million views on YouTube, the three-piece Clockwork Motionless are one of the exceptions. And they didn’t wait long to follow that up with another exciting song, “Klai (Where),” out now via Sanamluang Music.

Clockwork Motionless are childhood friends Eakkachai Pratangthasa (Gun) on vocals and guitar, Therdthai Thongtho (Toom) on bass and Siriyott Ruangtangyan (Men) on drums. The trio have come on in leaps and bounds since starting out a few years ago, playing small local gigs. Now they’re on national radio and playing music festivals. Their sound has evolved too, developing from a more traditional style to a modern one that embraces electronic music.

S Weekly recently caught up with the guys to talk about their new single and their developing sound.

Can you tell us about the new single “Where”?

Gun: It’s a pop song about missing somebody. The song and the video tell different stories, but it’s still the same idea of missing the one you love and the feelings of pain, loss and loneliness that come with it.

Toom: The music is based around an acoustic guitar sound. It’s like folk music, but we added electronic sounds and synthesisers to try and create a special atmosphere. It reflects our new musical direction.

What’s the feedback for the new single been like so far?

Gun: It’s been really good. For me, it’s not about how many views we get but how the song makes people feel. I read all the comments by fans saying how much they love the song and how they relate to it. That means so much to us.

How would you describe your new sound?

Gun: Anybody who’s been following us from the beginning would tell you that our music has changed completely. We’ve come to realise that we enjoy an atmospheric sound. It’s a kind of mix of dream pop and shoegaze music. And it’s more emotional than the pop we used to do.

What’s the meaning behind the band’s name?

Gun: Many of our songs have references to time, especially particular times in our lives. Motionless means not moving, so it refers to the desire to stop time and live in the moment.

Why are most of your songs quite slow and moody?

Gun: I guess it’s just what we’re into at the moment. Most of the music that we listen to is sad and moody. That’s the kind of sound we’re going for on the first album. But we may become more upbeat in the future.

When you aren’t playing music, what do you do for fun?

Gun: We’ve been friends since high school, so we’re very close. We mostly just hang out together and laugh. We’ve always understood one another.

Who are some of your favourite artists?

Gun: We all pretty much love the same bands. Kodaline, Sleeping at Last and Radiohead are all bands that we loved growing up and that continue to inspire us.