Charlie forms a band
Charlie Potjes (Nack) is definitely a household name. If you were a kid in the 2000s, then you know him from the coming-of-age film Fan Chan. Then he dated a ghost in the recent horror comedy Buppha Arigato. But in 2018, he will be the man behind the microphone of his new band Charlee.
Charlee are a four-piece rock group from Mono Music consisting of Nack and his three friends - guitarist Nuttee Runglertnirund (Bom), bassist Wuttipat Tosakulwanish (George) and drummer Kittiphob Rerrshanandawa (Duck). The band have just released their debut single “Sud-tai (At Last),” a ballad on which Nack expresses his feelings about the day his lover leaves him.
S Weekly caught up with members of Charlee to talk all about their band, first single and music video.
How did you guys meet?
Nack: Some of us have been friends for a while, and some of us met after signing with Mono Music. I didn’t want to be a solo singer, so I told Mono that I wanted a band. Playing music by myself could be pretty boring.
Nack, as a successful actor, why did you decide to be a singer?
Nack: I’ve always wanted to make music. I’ve released a few songs under my own name, and I did an indie rock project that didn’t work out well. But I didn’t give up hope. Now I’m with this new band, so we spent some time crafting our music and making sure it’s good enough. I don’t want people to see me as an actor who wants to be a singer. I want to show that I have talent in music as well.
How is the feedback for “At Last” so far?
Nack: It’s been pretty good. It’s our first song, so we didn’t have high expectations. But I read some of the YouTube comments and people seem to enjoy the song, so that’s good enough for us.
What’s “At Last” about?
Nack: It’s a slow rock tune about breaking up with somebody you love. Although it’s a rock song, it’s not too heavy for pop music listeners to understand. The lyrics are quite straightforward and the chorus is catchy enough to remember after a few listens.
Why did you debut with a ballad instead of fast song?
Nack: We think nowadays people seem to enjoy love songs and ballads more than other types of music. You must be a well-known band to release fast songs or play whatever type of music that you want. But for us, we are just a new band, so we decided to make music that people want to hear first.
The video of “At Last” stars Focus Jirakul, your co-star from the movie Fan Chan. Who came up with this idea?
Nack: It was our bassist’s idea. He’s a huge fan of Focus. [Laughs.] We thought a lot of fans would probably want to see the grown up version of the two of us together again after 15 years.
George: I got to take a selfie with Focus too. Now I’ve reached my goal, so I can quit the band. [Laughs.]
Are you fans of rock music?
Bom: I was really into heavy metal and playing Guitar Hero before I joined Charlee, so rock music is really my thing.
Nack: Honestly, rock music is something quite new for me. I personally love pop and easy listening music, but when I decided to form a band I thought I should think outside the box.
George: I’m more into pop music. I love to analyse a really good pop song - what makes the song stand out, or how to write a song that anybody can enjoy.
