Right on the heels of his new single release, Thai-New Zealander indie sensation Phum Viphurit will play his first-ever music festival in Vietnam this May.
A few weeks ago, Thơm Music Festival announced on their Facebook page that Phum Viphurit will be part of this year’s lineup. Viphurit also confirmed the Ho Chi Minh City visit as part of his Asia tour in 2019.
Viphurit Siritip, better known by his nickname Phum, was born in Bangkok in 1995, but moved to New Zealand when he was nine with his parents. The family calls Hamilton, a small city south of Auckland, their home. Phum moved back to Thailand when he was 18 to study film at Mahidol University International College. The music video for his breakout hit ‘Long Gone’ was filmed on the campus in Bangkok.
Video via YouTube channel RatsRecords.
Phum’s music is a mishmash of different genres, including indie folk and neo soul, especially one inspired by Motown. He credits his childhood in New Zealand with sowing the seeds for his love of music, according to Timeout. Phum’s mother exposed him from an early age to Motown, disco and Whitney Houston classics.
His brand of buoyant, sun-drenched optimism has won the hearts of indie enthusiasts, judging by the success of Phum’s 2018 world tour.
This will be the second installment of Thơm Music Festival, a music extravaganza showcasing Vietnam’s independent acts. The festival will take place on May 4 at Hoa Lu Stadium in Saigon. Apart from the Thai neo soul star, this year’s roster features a host of Vietnam’s most sough-after underground and indie names, including Suboi, Cá Hồi Hoang, Vũ, Ngọt, marzuz, and more.
[Photo via Phum Viphurit’s Facebook page]
