Thai band DAYNIM talk latest track 'Glossy Lips', second album 'PSSST!' + share what they were like in high school
DAYNIM's album "PSSST!" is out now!
Welcome to Bunni Pop extras! From time to time, I will post updates here with new music and profiles of up-and-coming artists. This week, I’m very excited to introduce readers to Thai band DAYNIM!
Classic rom-com movies are a rite of passage for anyone going through adolescence.
From makeover scenes, high school dances to finding your true self, these tropes are all part of what makes these films so great.
Those themes are what members of the Thai band DAYNIM found themselves gravitating towards when composing their latest track “Glossy Lips.”
The track blends elements of pop, R&B and hip hop and features a groovy synth bass line throughout that makes you want to hit the dance floor. The animated music video that accompanies the track also transports audiences into a world where a robot-like figure gets ready for a dance party, and eventually finds the confidence to bust out its funkiest moves.
“Glossy Lips” is a song written to encourage self-expression no matter your gender and body type, DAYNIM’s lead vocalist Pleng tells Bunni Pop in an interview.
“I wanted to put the message of empowerment for dressing up and being confident about it,” Pleng said.
Based in Bangkok, DAYNIM is an indie band composed of members Pleng, Get (bassist and mixer), Kan (drums) and Soe (guitarist and vocals). The group was formed during the members’ university years and officially debuted in August 2019 with the single “Would You.”
PSSST! marks DAYNIM’s second album, in which “Glossy Lips” is a featured track.
DAYNIM recently sat down with Bunni Pop to talk about “Glossy Lips”, the band’s second album PSSST! and shared what each member was like in high school.
I understand the name of your band is based on “Japanese Denim”, a song by Canadian singer Daniel Caesar. Why was that the inspiration?
Pleng: At first, it started with me and Soe playing at bars together. The bar asked for the name of the band, and we had nothing in mind.
We were super into Daniel Caesar’s music at the moment. We also liked “Japanese Denim” and the word “denim” fit beautifully for an R&B band. We chose “denim” and changed the spelling. It’s obviously one of our favourite songs of all time. [Daniel Caesar] is really talented as well.
“Glossy Lips” pays homage to some of the high school rom-coms with a classic dress-up scene in the music video. What are some of the favourite coming-of-age films/shows that you have watched?
Pleng: For me, it’s like Mean Girls and Clueless. I can sit in my house and click play on these movies on every occasion.
Soe: Maybe for me, it’s School of Rock.
Kan: Sex Education! Actually, that series really influenced our album too.
Pleng: We kind of borrowed some characters and storyline and put it in this album.
Get: A Thai series called Hormones.
What were you guys like in high school?
Pleng: My hometown is in Chiang Mai. It’s up north in Thailand. My high school is a pretty big school, a private school. I considered my school is like a top class, so everyone studied hard for university. Everyone tended to apply for medical school or health science.
I went for a different direction and went to music engineering school. Actually, we all came from different cities. We met in university in Bangkok.
Kan: Yeah to me, I have a band from high school with my brother (who happens to be Get, the bassist in DAYNIM).
When I was 18, I started to study drums and my brother studied bass and we made a band together. We just played in a school band together and before we go to university, we made some songs.
After that, all members in the band went to different universities and played in different bands.
What made you want to make music together?
Kan: Actually, it’s like an accident for me. In the last year of university, I stayed in a house with my brother. Soe, the guitarist, was in that house too. First, Soe and Pleng made songs together. Get joined the band after. After [DAYNIM's] first song “Would You” came out, they asked me if I would join the band. I accepted.
Pleng: I was in the same major as Soe and Get, but different years. Kan was studying architecture. We lived in the same house and my impression for Kan first was he is a Get’s younger brother. He has a lot of energy and good energy as well!
For Soe and Get, they are really nice. They’re older than me and these guys are just great people. We all went from different cities to Bangkok. So we all shared the same energy of fleeing far away from home. It felt like family first for me.
“Glossy Lips” is from your second album PSSST! You shared it was inspired by high school. But what was the biggest vision for the whole project?
Pleng: I wanted to put a message about all of the small ideas or conflicts about society. Like women empowerment, gender [fluidity]. The whole album I would say it's about accepting your own being, like being yourself.
So that’s why the first track of the album, “INVITATION”, I say, “Welcome to the party.” I kind of invite everyone to join the party of being yourself.
Why is the theme of self-expression and confidence important for all of you?
Pleng: I think it's important because … I wanted a voice to express this message. It's really important because we're kind of like voices for teenagers. I believe that these times can be difficult for finding your direction and expressing yourself.
As artists who have found themselves in a big city like Bangkok, what about the city inspires your music?
Pleng: I would say the house that we all lived in back in university. We rented a house, [where] we did all our demos. We spent a lot of time there. It’s full of memories and stories.
The Thai music scene has seen a lot of growth in recent years. What do you think of its growing popularity?
Pleng: I think the Thai indie industry, nowadays, there are many different genres of bands. We have great friends who are part of the band DOGWHINE. They’re also indie, garage, and a little bit of jazz and rock combined. Their live performances are really interesting. I think the diversity is really nice for Thailand right now.
What are your long and short term goals?
Kan: Short term, we are promoting our second album. Our target is to have a show abroad and it is our dream. Now the first country we will go to is Taiwan in September.
Pleng: We are still on a high for this album. We hope to play live internationally soon. We really hope all of you guys like our album!
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Follow DAYNIM on Instagram and listen to their latest album PSSST! here.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Accountability is important to me, so please address corrections and concerns by sending me an email at bunnipopnewsletter@gmail.com. Continue the conversation by following Bunni Pop on Instagram and Twitter.