Metal to the pedal

Metal Sukkhao, daughter of rocker Chatchai “Rang” Sukhawadee aka Rang Rockestra, has inherited not only her dad’s talent but also his ambition.

From a musical standpoint though, she’s following her own star, with a genre she calls “new classic” that has little to do with the Queen-influenced Rockestra, one of the most popular rock bands in 1980s.

“It isn’t classical music, but classic, a kind of musical fermentation,” says the 23-year-old. “It’s not pop, pop-rock or easy-listening but an unconventional sound that you won’t find being played on the radio. I expect my new music to be as long lived as my father’s.”

Metal, the name chosen by Rang in the hope that his child would be stronger than whim, says he dad has never tried to influence or control her. “The only demand he made was that I take piano lessons,” she grins.

 “At that time, I was very fond of classical music and even dreamt of being an orchestral pianist. I also hated the loud music my father played,” she says.

“So I can honestly say that his music never influenced me, at least when I was a kid. In fact, I used to refuse to listen to it. But as I grew up and heard other people saying how much they admired his songs, I started to listen and found I loved numbers like ‘Khid Thueng’. And Queen’s music simply blew me away with its musicality.”

Ironically Metal’s potential was spotted not by a talent spotter but by choreographer Auu Premjit of D Dance School. Her mother had earlier signed up her for dance classes as a way of working out and developing her personality. Metal did well, becoming a backup dancer for a while.

“Phi Auu told me I had music in my blood,” she says.

Metal moved around the entertainment business, putting her talents to good use for a musical and TV drama and signing up with a music label, which wanted to turn her into a “dancing queen” like Christina Aguilar. 

She also auditioned for Iconic Records, owned by artist Dome Pakorn Lum, which was looking to put together an all-gal trio. Metal was selected and recorded two singles with The Poison: “Girlfriends” and “1951”. The music video for “1951”, which showed the three girls stepping into a haunted house and being transported to a retro world, earned one million likes on YouTube. The trio then split to pursue solo careers.

“We’d always planned to work as individuals rather than as a group,” Metal explains, adding that the experience was fun and taught each of the ladies the merits of teamwork.

As a solo artist, Metal has appeared on the covers of magazines and duetted with Dome on “Ya Bok Wa Chan Rak Ther”, a soundtrack of  Channel 3’s drama “Saneha Sanya Khaen.” She also appeared on stage at the Nine Entertainment Awards 2014, covering her father’s patriotic song, “Rak Ther Prathet Thai” in an electronica arrangement and wowing the audience with her dance moves.

“The words apply to the political situation these days and encourage people to love their country,” says Metal. 

“In future, I would like to make the same melodic rock as my father’s but with more of an emotional bent.”