This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (February 2012)

The Love of Siam (Thai: รักแห่งสยาม, RTGS: Rak Haeng Sayam, pronounced [rák hɛ̀ŋ sà.jǎːm]) is a 2007 Thai gay-themed romantic-drama film written and directed by Chookiat Sakveerakul. A multi-layered family drama, a groundbreaking element of the story is a gay romance between two teenage boys.

The film was released in Thailand on November 22, 2007. The fact that the gay storyline was not apparent from the film's promotional material initially caused controversy, but the film was received with critical acclaim and proved financially successful. It dominated Thailand's 2007 film awards season, winning the Best Picture category in all major events,

Plot[link]

Ten-year olds Mew and Tong are neighbors. Mew is a soft-featured but stubborn kid, while Tong is a more masculine, energetic boy who lives with his parents and sister, a Roman Catholic Thai family. After accidentally spitting gum into Mew's hair, Tong wants to befriend Mew, but the quiet boy and his outgoing neighbor are not initially close. At school, effeminate Mew is teased by several other students and harassed until Tong steps in to defend him. Tong receives injuries and now they begin a friendship. Tong apologizes to Mew for the chewing gum incident. Mew is grateful for Tong stepping in and responds that now they are even. Mew plays on his late grandpa's piano and is joined by his grandma, who begins to play a song. Mew asks his grandma why she liked that song and his grandma responds by telling Mew that it was played for her by his grandpa. It was a way for him to express his love to her and she explains that one day, Mew will understand the meaning of the song.

Tong's family is going on vacation to Chiang Mai and his older sister, Tang, begs her mother to be allowed to stay on with her friends a couple days more. Tong buys Mew a present and decides to give it to Mew piece by piece in a game of Treasure Hunt, a tradition in his family. One by one, Mew finds all of the pieces except for the last one which is hidden in a tree. The tree is cut down just as Mew is about to retrieve it leaving the present Tong bought for Mew incomplete. Tong is disappointed at their misfortune, but Mew remains grateful for Tong's efforts.

Tang calls her parents from Chiang Mai and tells them that she will be extending her stay in Chiang Mai until the 24th of December. Tong looks at his calendar and realizes that Tang will not be able to attend the Christmas play he would participate in. The parents worry about their daughter. Tang cannot be reached. After the Christmas play, Tong receives a phone call from his parents telling him to stay with Mew and his grandma. After spending the night at Mew's house, Tong awakens to the sight of his parents along with Mew and his grandma. His parents go to Chiang Mai to look for their daughter Tang, who may have gotten lost on a trek into the mountains. Tong becomes devastated that his sister is missing, and cries as Mew tries comfort his friend.

Months have passed and Tong's family decides to move to another part of Bangkok. On the day of the move, Tong finds Mew sitting on a ledge overlooking a pier. Tong says his final words and departs in a car. Tong looks back only to find Mew walking towards the car before coming to a stop and crying for losing his best friend.

Six years pass; Tong's father is a severe alcoholic, due to his guilt for losing his daughter. Tong has a pretty--but uptight--girlfriend, Donut. Tong and Mew are reunited during their senior year of high school at Siam Square. The musically talented Mew is the lead singer of a boy band called August. The meeting stirs up old feelings that Mew has harbored since boyhood, his love for Tong.

The manager of Mew's band, Aod, instructs the young musicians--their songwriter Mew in particular--that they must write a song about love in order to sell more records. He assigns them a new assistant manager, June. Coincidentally, June looks just like Tong's missing sister, Tang. When Tong eventually meets her, he and his mother, Sunee, devise to a plan to hire June to pretend she is Tang, in hopes that it will pull Tong's father out of his alcoholic depression. "Tang" borrows a story from the Thai film Ruk Jung, saying she has amnesia, which is why she says a Buddhist prayer of thanks instead of Catholic Grace at the dinner table. Amazingly to Sunee, June seems to know too much of the family's past. Tang passes it off as her creative imagination.

Mew is also the object of an unrequited crush of an obsessive neighbor girl, Ying, who is trying to use a voodoo doll and other tricks to make the boy like her. Unfortunately for her, Mew is more interested in his boyhood friend Tong, who has now become the inspiration for writing the new songs. The manager, as well as the entire band, are all impressed with Mew's composition.

As part of the deception with "Tang," a backyard party is held in honor of her return, and Mew's band August provides the entertainment. Singing the new love song for the first time in public, Mew's eyes lock intensely with Tong's. June notices this. After the party, everyone has left and the two boys are left alone in the yard. They share a prolonged kiss. Unseen, Tong's mother Sunee accidentally witnesses this. The next day, she goes to meet Mew and firmly instructs him to stay away from her son. When Tong finds out that his mother has interfered, an argument ensues, but she has succeeded in creating a rift between the teens which persists for some time. Mew is heartbroken and loses his musical inspiration, so he quits the band.

At Christmas time, as he and his mother are decorating their Christmas tree, he finally finds a way to show her how controlling she is. June has saved money and about the same time heads off in a bus to Chiang Mai. Whether June and Tang were the same person, we will never know.

Tong goes to Siam Square for a date with Donut. Mew has rejoined the band, and they are playing nearby. Tong abandons Donut, telling her they are no longer together. He then rushes to see Mew play and is guided there by Ying, who has accepted the fact that Mew loves Tong. After the performance, Tong gives Mew his Christmas gift, the missing nose from the wooden doll that Tong gave him when they were children. Tong then says to Mew, "I can't be your boyfriend, but that doesn't mean I don't love you."

The film ends with Mew putting the missing nose back to the wooden puppet, saying "thank you" and crying quietly.

Cast[link]

from L-R :Aticha Pongsilpipat, Witwisit Hiranyawongkul, Chermarn Boonyasak, Sinjai Plengpanich and Mario Maurer

• Witwisit Hiranyawongkul as Mew
• Mario Maurer as Tong
• Kanya Rattanapetch as Ying
• Aticha Pongsilpipat as Donut
• Chermarn Boonyasak as Tang/June
• Sinjai Plengpanich as Sunee, Tong's mother
• Songsit Rungnopakunsri as Korn, Tong's father

Reception[link]

Marketing controversy and audience response[link]

From left to right - Mario Maurer, Kanya Rattanapetch, Witwisit Hiranyawongkul and Chookiat Sakveerakul

Marketed as a typical teen romance between boys and girls, the gay aspect of the love story was controversial.

Thai-language web boards were posted with messages of support, as well as accusations by moviegoers that they were misled into watching "a gay movie."^{[1][broken citation]}

Writer/director Chookiat Sakveerakul admitted the film was marketed on the film posters and in the film's previews as a straight romance because he wanted it to reach a wider audience.^[1]

"The movie is not all about gay characters, we are not focusing on gay issues, we are not saying, 'let's come out of the closet,' so obviously, we don't want the movie to have a 'gay' label," he said in an interview.^[1]

But the director confirmed the mixed reaction of audiences. "I went incognito to a movie theater and observed the audience. I didn't expect such a strong reaction. Maybe I was just too optimistic that homophobia in Thai society had subsided."^[1]

Commercial performance[link]

The Love of Siam was released in Thai cinemas on November 22, 2007, opening on 146 screens. It was the No. 1 film at the Thai box office that weekend, topping the previous No. 1 film, Beowulf.^[3] It slipped to No. 2 the following weekend, unseated by the comedy film, Ponglang Amazing Theater.^[4] In the third week of release, it had dropped to No. 5, with to-date box office takings of US$1,198,637.^[5] It has grossed a total of US$1,305,125 to date.

The film was officially released in Taiwan on September 19, 2008 and Singapore on July 16, 2009. It reached No. 12 at the Taiwan box office in opening week.^[6]

Critical response[link]

The Love of Siam was received with critical acclaim upon its release.

Bangkok Post film critic Kong Rithdee called the film "groundbreaking", in terms of being the first Thai film "to discuss teenagers' sexuality with frankness". He praised the mature, realistic family drama aspects of the film, as well as the solid performances, particularly by Sinjai Plengpanich as the mother Sunee.^[7]

Another Bangkok Post commentator, Nattakorn Devakula, said the film contained important lessons for Thai society. "The point that the film attempts to teach viewers – and a largely conservative Thai society – is that love is an evolved form of emotional attachment that transcends sexual attraction of the physical form."^[8]

A reviewer for The Nation called the film "brilliantly conceived".^[9]

A few critics found fault with the film, among them Gregoire Glachant of BK magazine, who commented that "The Love of Siam isn't a very well shot movie. Chookiat's camera only records his dull play with equally dull angles and light as it wanders from homes to schools, to recording studio, and to Siam Square without sense of purpose or directions."^[10]

The movie also reached a rating of 7.6 (out of 10) on the Internet Movie Database.^[11]

Accolades[link]

at Star Entertainment Awards 2007

The Love of Siam dominated Thailand's 2007 film awards season, winning the Best Picture category in all major national film award events, including the Thailand National Film Association Awards, Starpics Magazine's Starpics Awards, the Bangkok Critics Assembly Awards, Star Entertainment Awards, and Kom Chad Luek Newspaper's Kom Chad Luek Awards.^[12] Awards won by the film include the following:

The film was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Mario Maurer) and Best Composer (Kitti Kuremanee) categories in the Asian Film Awards at the Hong Kong International Film Festival, but did not win.^[14]

In October 2008, Mario Maurer won the Best Actor award in Southeast Asian film category at the 10th Cinemanila International Film Festival.^[15]

The Love of Siam is Thailand's submission to the 81st Academy Awards.^[16]

Production[link]

Chookiat Sakveerakul at the Thai press preview of The Love of Siam on November 21, 2007.

The film was first shot on December 26, 2006,^[17] taking advantage of the Christmas lights and decorations of Siam Square and the surrounding area.^[18]

The Love of Siam is unusual among Thai films in many respects. First, at 150 minutes, the film is markedly longer than most other Thai films, and second it is a drama film, which is rare in the Thai industry, which mainly produces horror, comedy, action, and (heterosexual) teen romance films.

Director Sakveerakul said he felt the longer running time was needed to more fully develop all the characters and the story. He received full backing for this decision from producer Prachya Pinkaew and the production company, Sahamongkol Film International.

"They liked the first cut, which was even longer, so I didn't need to convince them that much. I feel that every minute of the movie is important, and I'm glad the audience will be able to see it in full," Chookiat said in an interview before the film's release.^[19]

A nearly three-hour "director's cut" was released in January 2008 exclusively at the House RCA cinema, and it played for several weeks of sold-out shows.

The film was a departure for Chookiat, who had previously directed the horror film, Pisaj and the psychological thriller, 13 Beloved.

The gay romance was also unusual, in that it involved two "straight acting" boys. In most Thai films with gay characters, gay men are coarsely depicted as transgenders or transvestites with exaggerated effeminacy.

The young actors portraying Mew and Tong both had difficulties with the kissing scene.

Witwisit Hiranyawongkul, who portrays Mew, accepted the role because it was challenging and because he was interested in working with the director, who was a senior classmate at Montfort College in Chiang Mai.^[1]

Mario Maurer, of Chinese-German descent, portrayed Tong, and was "nervous". "I've never kissed a man and kissing is not something you do every day," he said in an interview. "My father said it was just a job and not to think about it too much."^[1]

Soundtrack[link]

An original soundtrack album was released on November 12, 2007, ahead of the film's release. The two-disc package features a CD with music tracks by Chookiat Sakveerakul, Witwisit Hiranyawongkul, the August band, Passakorn Wiroonsup and Flure, and a VCD. The album proved popular, and had sold out of many shops in the weeks after its release.^[1] "Gun Lae Gun" spent seven weeks at number one on Seed 97.5 FM's charts.^[20]

Tagline: "Just ask yourself who you think of when you are listening to love song."

Disc 1 (CD)

1. "Gun lae gun" ("กันและกัน") – performed by Suweera Boonrod (Flure) – 4:34
2. "Ticket (Day Trip)" – performed by Chookiat Sakveerakul & August Band – 3:34
3. "Roo suek barng mhai" ("รู้สึกบ้างไหม") (Live) – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 4:16
4. "Pieng ter" ("เพียงเธอ") – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 4:12
5. "Gun lae gun" ("กันและกัน") (Acoustic version) – performed by Chookiat Sakveerakul – 6:20
6. "Kuen aun pen niran" ("คืนอันเป็นนิรันดร์") – performed by Passakorn Wiroonsup – 3:07
7. "Gun lae gun" ("กันและกัน") (Live) – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 6:02
8. "Roo suek barng mhai" ("รู้สึกบ้างไหม ") (Original Mix) – performed by Witwisit Hiranyawongkul – 5:00
9. "Pieng ter" ("เพียงเธอ") (Demo) – performed by Chookiat Sakveerakul – 4:23
10. "Ticket (Night Trip)" (Bonus Track) – Instrumental – 3:50

Disc 2 (VCD)

1. The Love of Siam trailer
2. "Gun lae gun" music video
3. Introducing the August band
4. "Gun lae gun" behind-the-scenes music video

Home media[link]

The standard DVD was released on February 19, 2008 in anamorphic widescreen format with Thai Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby 2.0 Surround audio tracks^[21] and a commentary by the director. The DVD includes music videos, trailer and a photo gallery.

The three-disc director's cut DVD was released on April 9, 2008. Discs 1 and 2 contain the 173 minutes director's cut of the film. Disc 3 includes a trailer, a film documentary, deleted scenes, a Making Of, character introduction, a live concert, an interview with the songwriter and the complete theatrical version with an on-screen commentary by the director.

In addition, an audio CD, a wooden doll, postcards, the letter and a note of "Gun lae gun" are featured in a limited DVD Boxset.^[22]

The Love of Siam was released as a Collector's Edition 3-disc set in Taiwan on January 21, 2009. This edition duplicates the Thai three-disc director's cut DVD and adds an exclusive extra of the director's and stars' reception in Taiwan. This is the only DVD of the director's cut that has English subtitles on both the film and the extras, except the Making Of which doesn't have any subtitles.^[23]

All Thailand editions mentioned above are now out of print. A budget-price one disc version ^[24] was released in 2009, accompanied by a two disc version of the director's cut.^[25]

The Love of Siam (theatrical version) was released in the US on October 13, 2009.^[26] The only extra is the trailer. This is the only DVD of the theatrical version that has English subtitles.

^[27]

See also[link]

• List of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender-related films by storyline

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The Love of Siam

• Official website
• Rak haeng Siam (The Love of Siam) at the Internet Movie Database
• Rak haeng Siam (The Love of Siam) at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Love of Siam at SiamZone (Thai)

v t e Cinema of Thailand Films A-Z Chronology of films Animation Awards Cinemas Festivals LGBT films Locations Studios Actors Directors Cinematographers Editors Producers Screenwriters

This article has been nominated to be checked for its neutrality. Discussion of this nomination can be found on the talk page. (June 2008)

Witwisit Hiranyawongkul (Thai: พิช-วิชญ์วิสิฐ หิรัญวงศ์กุล’, born July 20, 1989) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is a Thai actor and singer.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Witwisit Hiranyawongkul, popularly nicknamed Pitch or Pchy, was born and raised in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

He attended a Catholic school Montfort College at an early age and has spent 12 years there. A talented singer, Pitch was the lead singer in his high school band. Music has always been a big part of his life. Pitch enjoys hip hop, R&B, gospel and soul music. He plays the piano and composes music in his free time.

Besides music, Witwisit is also a fan of the Japanese manga series Nodame Cantabile and Lomography.^{[citation needed]} He brought his camera to the set of The Love of Siam.^{[citation needed]}

His favourite quote is "No one is perfect."

Student life[link]

Pitch attended Montfort College, a prestigious school in Chiang Mai. He entered the Thai entertainment business at the age of 17 while he was still in grade 12. He was discovered in his hometown by Chukiat Sakweerakul, writer and director of The Love of Siam. Chukiat is an alumnus of Montfort College and met Pitch because of their common music interests.

At his 12th grade, Pitch decided that he would major in Communications at University. In one interview, he expressed, "I like to write and tell stories, my friends always tell me they enjoy reading what I write."^{[cite this quote]} He was admitted to the Faculty of Communications, Chiang Mai University.

He declined the offer because he had already started filming The Love of Siam at that time and knew that if he wanted to continue being in the entertainment business, he would have to move to Bangkok. Later, he was admitted to the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communications, Thammasat University, Bangkok. He started his first year of university around mid 2007 and concentrated on film/screen writing, he graduated on 2011.

Music career[link]

Pitch has been involved in music since his early years. His first public work was singing the original soundtrack song for the movie "Khao Niew Moo Ping." In The Love of Siam soundtrack, he also contributed several songs. He even composed the music and wrote the lyrics of the song "Roo suek barng mhai" (Do you feel...?). Pitch explained that he found inspiration to write the song after his friend consulted him about a love problem.

The on-screen August has also become a real band with Pitch as the lead singer. Pitch and August started their group career by singing and playing in The Love of Siam's promotional events. Soon organisers wanted the band to play at music festivals and many other events. The audiences were impressed by the young band member's ability to play instruments and their teenage energy. Pitch is proven to be excellent singing live and a good stage entertainer. The 13-member band (including Pitch) released their first album August*Thanx as a band in February 2008. Their first full album Radiodrome was released in December 2008.

The price of fame[link]

The Love of Siam was filmed from December 2006 to early 2007. Pitch had to travel back and forth between Chiang Mai and Bangkok for the filming. Between the time the movie was completed and released, Pitch completed his high school and moved to Bangkok to attend Thammasat University and live as an ordinary student. After The Love of Siam was released in late November 2007, Pitch became famous almost instantly, especially among young Thais. Soon his fans started to search for information, followed him to all the events he attended, taking thousands of photos and posted on the internet. Some went as far as following him to his dormitory. Pitch was initially very uncomfortable with the attention. He told a reporter, "I would like to go back and live a normal life."^{[cite this quote]} Also, he mentioned that he would prefer working behind the scenes in the future.

Fortunately, Pitch seemed to have adjusted to his new life. In one of his interviews, he commented "I appreciate my fans, it's nice to know they are following my work. They had understood me and kept the right distance."^{[cite this quote]} Several fanclub websites have been set up and Pitch occasionally writes or replies to his fans on the webboard.

Controversy[link]

Pitch and Mario[link]

Mario Maurer and Witwisit Hiranyawongkul

One of the factors contributing to The Love of Siam's success is the chemistry between Mew and Tong, played by Mario Maurer, now a rising star in Thailand. Pitch told reporters Mario and him are just good friends. He credited film editing for the good chemistry displayed on-screen. "We are not that sweet to each other," Pitch laughed.^{[cite this quote]} "Usually, when having dialogue in the movie, we were facing different cameras."^{[cite this quote]} On the movie set, Pitch's eyes usually met the film crews, who made sure he made the right expression.^{[citation needed]}

Snob?[link]

Because Pitch had initially expressed his discomfort with fame, some reporters interpreted that he did not like the entertainment business.

Chukiat Sakweerakul who has become his mentor told Lips magazine that "Pitch is very direct with his facial expression, when he is tired or bored, his facial expression just shows."^{[cite this quote]} Chukiat has taught Pitch that "You study Journalism and Communications, it would be strange if you say you don't like fame!"^{[cite this quote]}

Now, Pitch has adjusted to his life as a public figure.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Work after Siam

Acting[link]

In 2008, Pitch appeared in Thai R&B singer Nasnan's music video "Hak Tur Mod Rak" (If You Have Lost Your Love), as the singer's love interest. In the video, Pitch plays Nasnan's boyfriend whose love starts to wane and who becomes involved with another girl. In one of the scenes, he is slapped in the face by Nasnan.

Pitch also starred in a short film "Dopamine," which was also directed by Chukiat Sakweerakul. The film explains the meaning of love from a scientific point of view.

Chukiat Sakweerakul announced during an interview in June 2008 that there will be a new movie from Ba-ram-ewe Production (which produced Love of Siam) with Pitch and August band members as the main characters. The movie is about teenagers and their love and dreams. The filming is scheduled to start in June–July 2008. The film's name has been released in August 2008 as "Fun-Hwan-Ey-Joob" meaning "Dream-Sweet-Shy-Kiss" or code name 4 Romance Project. It is composed of 4 short films with names, Fun, Hwan, Ey, Joob respectively. Pitch and August Band will act in the Fun (Dream) film. Fellow stars from Love of Siam also act in this project, with Mario Maurer in "Joob" (Kiss) and Kanya Rattanapetch, who played Ying in Love of Siam, will act in Ey (Shy). The initiative ceremony of the film was on August 27, 2008, marking formal start of the filming. The movie was released on December 25, 2008.

Pitch acted in a Thai series on Channel 3, Thailand. The name of the series is "Sai Sueb Delivery" (Detective Delivery). It was aired from February to March 2009. Pitch played "Taewit" a step nephew of the male lead. The role was challenging for Pitch as in the beginning Taewit was a regular cheerful teenager. However, later he was heart-broken by an older girl and he turned into a troubled teenager and even used drug. The series also showed Taewit with a great number of dramatic emotional scenes with his onscreen mother. Although Taewit was a supporting role, it has proven that Pitch is a versatile and talented actor.

Before the end of the month of November 2010. the start of the shoots for his next film entitled old friends do not together with the band, and by the first quarter of 2011 this film will be shown.

Music[link]

Pitch continues to sing on stage regularly with his band, August.

To create widespread awareness about the campaign, Dove has invited Pitch and Chukiat Sakweerakul to compose and sing a very special song entitled "Chao Wan Mai" (Better Morning). The song was composed especially for Dove and reflects Dove’s commitment to empowering women, for them to gain more self-confidence, feel good about their ownselves, and encourage them into making something good for themselves and society every morning. The CD, which is not for sale, will be given to women throughout Bangkok, together with Dove Therapy System with Repairing Serum samples.^[1]

August Band also appeared in a TV commercial for Mama instant noodles.

The public, of course, demands more appearances from Pitch. However, Pitch wants to concentrate on his studies: "If the job offered is in conflict with my studies, I won't take it." Chukiat who is also songwriter and producer for August told Lips Magazine that Pitch really feels part of August band and he would not take job offers that ask him to go solo. As Thai schools are in summer break between March - Early June 2008, August (whose members are all students) has held several mini-concerts in Bangkok. The Band also played an auditorium concert in Chiang Mai on April 5–6, 2008.

Spending most of their weekends practicing music, the August Band continues to perform on stage regularly. The band plans to release their second album in October–November 2008. August's new album has been named "Radiodrome." The first single "Sunshine" has been aired on radio starting from August 27, 2008 (on FMMax 94.5) and September 1, 2008 (for all radio stations). The full album "Radiodrome" was released in December 2008. August held a lot of miniconcerts in Bangkok and also one in Chiang Mai. The Band successfully held their first big concert "August Let's Swing Aha! Aha!" on March 7, 2009 in Main Hall, JJMall.

Pitch also sings a theme song for a stage play by his university faculty. The stage play is called "Dear Passenger" and start showing in September 2008. The theme song is called Peek (Wings).

The popularity of Pitch/August Band has spread to countries like China, Indonesia, The Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and USA. Witwisit Hiranyawongkul has been performing with the August Band at numerous countries across Asia.

In November 2010, August Band released their brand new single, Summer.

Awards and nominations[link]

Acting[link]

In 2008, Witwisit was nominated in the Best Actor category in the Thailand National Film Association Awards for his breakthrough role in The Love of Siam.^[2] Pitch was the youngest nominee in the category. Although he eventually lost to Akara Amarttayakul, he was happy to be nominated. He was also nominated in the Best Actor category in the Critics Assembly Award. Pitch received Chalermthai award in the Lead Actor in Thai Film Category. Chalermthai is an award session held by Pantip.com, one of the most popular websites in Thailand. The Chalermthai awards were judged by voting from the website's members across Thailand.

Music[link]

August Band won "Popular New Artist" Award at "Channel [V] Music Video Awards 2009".

Discography[link]

• Bite of Love OST
• The Love of Siam OST
• August thanx
• Chao Wan Mai (Better Morning) Dove Campaign
• Sunshine (Single 09\2008)
• August RADIODROME released on December 3, 2008

included 3 OST. of 4romances,11 tracks (2discs)

• August band SUMMER (New Single 11/2010)

Filmography[link]

• The Love of Siam (2007)
• Dopamine (Short movie)(2008)
• 4 Romance (2008)
• Sai Sueb Delivery (Feb - Mar 2009) TV Series on Channel 3 Thailand
• Old Pals (2011)
• Home (2012)

Commercial[link]

• Mama (Instant noodle brand) commercial with August Band (2008)
• 1-2-Free (mobile carrier) commercial (2008)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Witwisit Hiranyawongkul

• Official site
• International Fans Club
• Philippines Fans Club
• Pchy Philippines
• Pinoy Exchange Threads
• Chinese PCHY FanClub
• Baidu PCHY Tieba(Chinese)
• Vietnam Fans Club
• AugustBand Room PH Facebook
• Witwisit Hiranyawongkul at the Internet Movie Database

This article appears to be written like an advertisement. Please help improve it by rewriting promotional content from a neutral point of view and removing any inappropriate external links. (November 2011)

Alison Sudol A Fine Frenzy
Background information
Birth name	Alison Sudol
Born	(1984-12-23) 23 December 1984 (age 27) Seattle, Washington, USA
Origin	Los Angeles, California, USA
Genres	Adult alternative, pop,rock music
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, pianist
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar, percussion
Years active	2006-present
Labels	Virgin, EMI
Website	www.afinefrenzy.com

Alison Sudol (born December 23, 1984), known professionally as A Fine Frenzy, is an American alternative singer-songwriter and pianist. Her debut album, One Cell in the Sea, was released in 2007, followed in 2009 by Bomb in a Birdcage. Sudol's songs have charted in the United States, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and France, among other countries. Her music has also been featured on numerous television shows and featured in several major motion pictures. According to her official website, A Fine Frenzy's upcoming album, Pines, will be released in mid- to late-2012.^[1]

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Born in Seattle, Washington to two dramatic arts teachers, Sudol and both parents moved to Los Angeles after their divorce when she was five years old. She grew up listening to a wide range of music, including Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, and swing.^[2] She has stated that her roots are "Scottish, Irish, Polish, and 'a bit' of German."

She graduated from high school at the age of 16, and considered herself "nerdy and quiet." Sudol did not "drink or smoke or do anything like that." She stated in an interview "I was so nervous about going into college like that and super young. I figured I would take two years and try to find out what I was doing with music. And when I was 18, I was just so deep into it that I didn't want to stop."^[2]

Sudol had a passion for literature, and immersed herself in the works of C. S. Lewis, E. B. White, Lewis Carroll, Anthony Trollope, and Charles Dickens. Her band's name, "A Fine Frenzy", is taken from a verse in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream: "The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven" (Theseus, Act 5, Scene 1). After teaching herself to play the piano, she began putting her creative energy into writing songs.

The short demo she sent out received attention from EMI's Jason Flom, who signed her after visiting her house and "listening to her play."^[3][4]

Music career[link]

Sudol playing the piano

In March 2007, Sudol appeared at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, opening for The Stooges. Shortly after, her debut album, One Cell in the Sea, was released to generally positive reviews.^[5] The first single, "Almost Lover", peaked at number 25 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. In mid-2007, she secured another opening spot, this time for Rufus Wainwright on his tour. In March and April 2008, Sudol headlined her own tour in the US and Canada, and in April she toured France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. In September 2008, she was the star act on the opening night of the New Pop Festival organized by the German broadcaster SWR3. She returned to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on a headline tour in November 2008 and played in the Super Bock em Stock festival in Portugal in December 2008.

Her song "You Picked Me" was featured on iTunes as the "Free Single of the Week" for August 14, 2007, and VH1 featured her as one of their "You Oughta Know" artists.^[6] Additionally, in October 2008, "You Picked Me" was chosen as network theme by SIC, a Portuguese television network.

One Cell in the Sea has sold 300,000 copies. In 2008 it was released in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland. In each of those countries, the album peaked within the top 30, with the first single, "Almost Lover," reaching number eight in Germany, number ten on the Swiss Charts and number five in Austria.^[7]

Sudol's second album, Bomb in a Birdcage, was released September 8, 2009.^[8] The first single, "Blow Away," was released on July 17, 2009, followed by two more singles, "Happier" and "Electric Twist."^[9] On November 23, 2009, a live album and concert film recorded in 2007, A Fine Frenzy Live at the House of Blues Chicago, was released on iTunes.

On October 31, 2011 Sudol stated via Twitter that the band were mastering the record.^{[citation needed]} Through Sudol's appearance at the Sundance Film Festival, several song titles have been confirmed for the new album, including "Avalanches" and "Riversong". In the March 2012 issue of Lucky magazine, Sudol revealed the third album's title, Pines.^[10] The album will be released on September 18th, 2012. Along with "Pines", Sudol will release an animated short film and a companion book illustrated by Jen Lobo. ^[11]

Television appearances[link]

On February 6, 2008, Sudol performed "Come On, Come Out" on The Late Show with David Letterman. On February 23, she sang "Almost Lover" and "Come On, Come Out" on CBS' Saturday Early Show. She guest starred in the fourth season premiere of CSI: NY, playing the character Nova Kent. During her October 15, 2009, appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, she sang "Blow Away". On the television series House the song "Whisper" was heard during the episode "Joy to the World", and the song "Hope for the Hopeless" has been in three episodes: "Act Your Age", "Human Error", and "Airborne". "Hope for the Hopeless" was also featured in the series premiere of Defying Gravity. The song "Near to You" was played in the episode "Friendship/Passion" of the TV series Wildfire (TV series). The song "Lifesize" was played during the episode "Doppelgangers" of How I Met Your Mother. Also, the song "The Beacon" was used during the episode "Hot and Bothered" of the Canadian police drama Rookie Blue. "Ashes and Wine" was used in the Vampire Diaries episode "Bad Moon Rising".^[12] Her music has also been used on the series The Hills.

Her track "What I Wouldn't Do" was used by the UK fashion chain Matalan on their Christmas 2010 television advertising campaign. In 2011, Banana Republic used Sudol's songs "You Picked Me", "Blow Away", and "Happier" in their Fall advertising campaign and behind-the-scenes footage.

In 2012, her song "What I Woudn't Do" was featured in the hit movie based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks called ''The Lucky One'' starring Zac Efron.

Literature and writing[link]

Sudol has often referred to the literary influences on her music. Recently she disclosed that she is also pursuing a secondary career as a writer. In an interview, Sudol said she is working a children's story in the "Narnia" tradition, a fantasy featuring animals.^[13] In a later interview with Ladygunn magazine, Sudol revealed the title of her fantasy adventure book to be Three Sails and the Family Moss.^[14]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

• One Cell in the Sea (2007), Virgin, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, US
• Bomb in a Birdcage (2009), Virgin
• A Fine Frenzy Live at the House of Blues Chicago (2009), (iTunes exclusive) Virgin
• Pines (September, 18th 2012) ^[15] Virgin

EPs[link]

• Demo - EP (2006): "Rangers," "Almost Lover," "The Well"
• Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) - EP (2007): "Almost Lover," "The Minnow & the Trout," "Borrowed Time," "Last of Days"
• Live in 2007 (2007), (Amazon.com exclusive): "Almost Lover (Live)," "Come On, Come Out (Live)," "Rangers (Live)," "The Minnow & The Trout (Live)"
• Come On, Come Out (2008), Germany: "Come On, Come Out" + Nachtwandler Protone Mix, "Love Sick," "Devil's Trade"
• Oh Blue Christmas (2009), (iTunes/Target exclusive): "Blue Christmas," "Winter Wonderland," "Winter White," "Christmas Time is Here," "Wish You Well," "Redribbon Foxes"

Singles[link]

• "Almost Lover" (2007), Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Poland, Lithuania
• "Rangers" (2007)
• "Come On, Come Out" (2008), Poland
• "Blow Away" (2009), International
• "Happier" (2009), International
• "Electric Twist" (2010), International
• "Near To You"

Soundtracks[link]

• Dan in Real Life (2007): "Fever"
• Sleepwalking (2008): "Come On, Come Out"
• Powder Blue (2009): "Ride-Goldrush"
• The Vampire Diaries (2010): "Ashes and Wine," "Stood Up," "All You Wanted" (with Sounds Under Radio)
• Monte Carlo (2011): "Blow Away"
• New Year's Eve (2011): "The Fun Begins"

Compilations[link]

• Stockings by the Fire (Starbucks Entertainment Compilation) (2007): "Let it Snow"

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alison Sudol

• A Fine Frenzy official site
• A Fine Frenzy - YouTube channel