My lowest moment was when I decided to quit Futon. It took me about a week to make up my mind. I felt so sad I couldn’t sleep. I even started talking to myself, asking, “What the hell are you doing with your life?” That’s really pathetic. I think I gave too much time to making one simple decision, especially when I already knew what the answer would be.
I needed a new challenge. I’ve been with the band for five years and I feel like I’ve grown apart from Futon’s sounds. And I just don’t want to scream or shout too much anymore.
I was lucky to be in Futon. It’s the most comfortable band because we never had any drama.
A lot of fans are disappointed. Some of them wish me luck because they understand my decision. But there are a lot of questions, too. But you know, not all break ups have to be dramatic. We still talk everyday.
It’s going to be a while before people stop calling me Gene Futon. But that’s ok because being Gene Futon is not a bad thing. Maybe I have to find a new family name now. How about Fondue? Sushi?
I have to start from scratch, again. I just lost my MacBook in a taxi! Before I lost it, I had everything planned out—the whole demo, the lyrics and the melody. But now I’m back at the beginning. Maybe the universe is telling me, “Ha ha, you want a new life? You got it. Extreme!”
I would call my new sound dark pop. But musically, I don’t think it’s going to be just one sound. There’s a lot of electronic music, a bit of ethnic sounds and some chanting. “Emotional” might be the best word to sum up the overall feel of my solo work.
I was forced to learn classical Thai singing back in school. It was really hard. But maybe it’s where I learned the techniques.
To be a singer, you just have to sing from the inside. Anyone can sing, just get the beats and the melody right, and it’ll all be fine.
I work in a self-indulgent kinda way. I always please myself first, so whenever I want to create something, I am able to get the best out of myself. But it wouldn’t hurt if my work could actually pay the bills. After all, that’s why you make money, so you can explore your other opportunities.
I am actually a very shy person. My onstage persona is just a cover to hide and conquer my fears.
Music really drives me crazy onstage. When I’m performing, I’ll be a completely different person. I don’t try to be a rock star though. It’s just something that happens onstage. I’m all over the place. When I watch myself on DVD, I’m like, “What the f**k is that? What was I doing?”
The crowds are like a mirror. When I look at them and see that they are having a good time, my performance gets even more powerful. It takes two sides to make it really work.
Usually, I work better in the middle of the night. And weirdly enough, sometimes the lyrics just come out when I’m drunk.
My name is Gene and I’m an alcoholic. The worst thing about being in the music business is it makes me drink too much. I’ve lost so many memories. [laughs] I can’t really recall much about our gigs in the early days because we were consuming too much alcohol.
I am really bad at Thai song writing. It took me two months to write a Thai song! As a Thai person, you have to find the right word for the right melody, which can be tricky because each word has its own tone and you shouldn’t bend it or else the meaning will change. You wouldn’t want to end up sounding like some inter student or farang speaking bad Thai.I really respect those who can compose Thai songs. It’s a lot of hard work.
I’ve seen a lot of people giving up on making music. I do hope that, someday soon, the audiences will believe in quality more than quantity because the former definitely lasts longer. Plus, it will encourage the artists with real creativity to keep doing the good stuff.
Music is what you appreciate. Some people might say it’s really shit but if you like it, who cares? I love New Kids on the Block, Boyzone, Spice Girls. I like Mariah Carey, but not the new album. That’s just beyond bad.
I will turn 30 next year. I’m not scared though. For me, 30 is the new 19.
Music is like a disease that I have for life. If I don’t sing, I miss it.
Being Gene is about always doing your best and finding what you’re comfy with. Have no fear.
How do I want to be remembered? Definitely not as an alcoholic party animal. Umm...maybe as a very peaceful person.
