Emma Pam do it differently.
With a fresh sound that mixes pop, rock and R&B, Emma Pam are the latest cool female duo on the music scene. Their debut single, “Yang Mai Chin (Still Not Used to It),” is a catchy but emotional tune that sounds different to anything else out there at the moment. If you haven’t heard it yet, then you definitely will soon.
Emma Pam are friends Emika Grant (Emma) and Pamiga Sooksawee (Pam). The girls were both interns at Grammy’s MBO Records. After years spent improving their skills and developing their look, the label finally gave the pair the green light to show us what they can do.
S Weekly caught up with Emma Pam at GMM Grammy Building to chat about music, fashion and the future.
What has the reaction to the single been like so far?
Pam: It’s been really good. Much better than we could have expected.
Emma: We were so nervous and excited before the release. I texted all my friends and family to tell them to watch the video. Now it’s got hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube. That’s really cool.
Can you tell us what the song is about?
Pam: “Still Not Used to It” is about a failed relationship told from the woman’s perspective. After we break up with somebody, we tell ourselves that we’re strong enough to get over it. But in reality, we need more time to get used to being alone. It’s a sad song, but there’s strength in it as well.
Emma: It’s pop rock with an element of dance. We told the producer that we wanted our sound to be more organic than a typical dance song.
How did you first meet?
Pam: We met when we took part in MBO’s The Idol Game a few years ago. Then we became close friends while we were interns at the label. We’d always get together for a jam. We started a YouTube channel, doing covers in our own style. When the label saw it, they decided to put us together as a duo.
Emma: Yeah, there are so many interns at the label. But we had the right chemistry.
Can you tell us more about your YouTube channel?
Pam: We used to do a live show once a week. A special part of it was that we would sing lyrics in three different languages. I speak Chinese fluently and Emma can sing in English. It became the signature of our show.
Emma: We’re planning to do the same thing in a future single. It should be fun!
How did you come up with your look?
Emma: It was our stylist, Bume, who came up with the idea of wearing the leather biker jacket. It’s a symbol of rock ‘n’ roll, which I like a lot. I dress all in black because I like looking tough. But I think Pam has a more feminine side to her. So she added a bit of pink.
Emma, how many musical instruments can you play?
Emma: I first had piano lessons when I was four. Then I picked up guitar in high school. I’m not sure which instrument I can play better. I love them both the same.
Do you listen to the same type of music? Who are some of your favourite artists?
Emma: Our tastes are pretty similar. There are some things that are different, but we both share a love of Royal Blood and Tegan And Sara. As for Thai bands, we’re big fans of Bodyslam.
Pam: Two of our favourite pop inspirations are definitely Christina Aguilera and Ed Sheeran. We’re disappointed that we couldn’t make it to Ed’s concert in Thailand.
