Their jam may bring back 80s nostalgia, with vibes kicking back to the golden age of punk rock music. Local band Yep May Yep is a one of a kind music group in the new era, whose songs may make you head-bang to the collision of power trio beats.
The band comprises four young and talented artists — vocalist Nice Orsuwan, bassist Tham "Non" Lertvilaimaneewong, guitarist Puwanart "Rome" Rodphongphan and drummer Chanamate "Matt" Yanan — who have been together since university. Guru speaks to Yep May Yep about their story, latest release and clothing choices that presents limitless sexuality through a glimpse of androgynous fashion.
Where did the name 'Yep May Yep' come from?
Non: Our name was inspired by the 2000s American indie rock group, Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It is one of our favourite bands. I have to say that we pulled a rabbit out of the hat for our name. We were in the car going to the studio and discussing what we wanted to be called, having agreed that it had to be as catchy as Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Suddenly, one of the crew yelled, 'Sep!', and it caught our fancy. So, we twisted it into 'Yep', which means yes, while adding 'May' on the second syllable and repeated 'Yep' at the end.
Why 'May' in the second syllable instead of triple 'Yep'?
Non: We wanted to add a hidden message about us in the name, as well. The word 'May' in our name has two meanings. One refers to the month we started this project and the other is the name of someone important to us. She is a secret player, and I can't tell you more than that.
How did you guys meet?
Non: I, Matt and Rome are friends and we studied together at the College of Music, Mahidol University. During our uni life, we were forming a music band and looking for a vocalist. We met Nice, who is also a Mahidol University student, at the musical duel and we invited him to be our main vocalist.
How would you describe your music?
Non: Pop and rock would be our jams.
Tell us about your latest mini-concert at the Perd-Muak Festival (Busking Festival)?
Nice: It was interesting because we got a chance to perform our latest song, Beautiful Girl, in a new way on an acoustic set. For me, it could be fun if we can play live on a stage to a crowd of screaming fans. However, due to the current situation, our show at the Perd-Muak Festival was a pre-recording streamed on YouTube.
What's your songwriting process and why do you write in English?
Nice: The songs we wrote were about stories in our journey of a lifetime that we want to pass to listeners through lyrics and tunes. We have talked a lot about the language for our music. At first, the Thai version looked like it would be our strong point since it can attract local audiences and is relatable. English, on second thoughts, can be used as a ticket for us to go on international stages, while diversifying fan bases. Also, the music trend in Thailand is opening up for a variety of music genres.
What is the story behind your latest release, Beautiful Girl?
Matt: Beautiful Girl is originally from my senior year's album project. The song is about a young nerd kid who falls in love with the hottest girl in school. He romanticises about being around her and tries to be someone else to be as cool as her. When I wrote this song, I was into the American high school movies, so I want the song to give flashbacks to puppy love moments, as well as high school nostalgia hits.
Nice: The music video, on the other hand, highlights the concept of embracing yourself. We can see the protagonist, a young boy, is trying hard to be someone else to draw his crush's attention, but in the process forgets how simple he used to be.
Explain your distinctive fashion sense as a group.
Non: Our fashion combines the unique characters of each of us together. To show and reflect our personality through clothing. If you want us to describe our style, 'androgyny' is the perfect word we want to present.
Nice: We are quite free about sexuality and fashion. We want to convey that everyone can dress up or do whatever they like without limitations.
Any words for your fans?
Nice: Thanks for your continued support, and stay tuned for our awesomeness!
Listen to Yep May Yep at bit.ly/3yFZv3i.
