Ling is recording debut EP in Singapore’s Shtung Studio.

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Brisbane based independent record label Lempicka Records has announced the signing of a recording deal with Singaporean acoustic artist and international online YouTube sensation Ling Kai.

Besides becoming recognised locally in Singapore as an emerging artist whose expressive voice and catchy guitar lines mark her as a talent to watch, Ling Kai has already seen her heartfelt songs touch audiences right across the globe.

Read more details -> http://lingkaimusic.com/
 
as usual, we need international audiences to tell us when we have something good before we pay any attention to it.

kudos ling for not giving up.
 
Where were the kudos-es BEFORE she got noticed internationally?
Where were the kudos-es for Analog Girl too before she got recognized internationally?

Some parts of the local scene is hypocritical and subjective in its support.

Why does it always take an international audience to recognize one of our own first before we acknowledge him / her / them with greater seriousness?

In countries like Finland, New Zealand and Jamaica where the population of its people is slightly more or less than ours, why is it that these countries have produced a greater number of more widely recognized acts than our own little island?

It's because, unlike our country, the people put their money where their mouth is. They buy albums, they pay to attend shows, the labels and ground-movers there do things to support and backup their local acts, the radio stations take notice.

Sure it isn't ALWAYS the case - for example, Jimi Hendrix had to find a home in England before the US recognized him - but citing the examples of these three countries in comparison to ours, population limitation is not a valid excuse for the lack of a music industry here.

It all comes down to the mentality of the people, and how much we really believe in our talents. And by 'believe' I mean genuine feasible support, not just say "Oh yeah I like this local band".

So yeah, the local scene is conditional and subjective in its support. Some of it anyway. Not all.

I love how Ling was never an active member of this forum and went on to prove herself beyond our shores. Congrats to her.

I know not many people will actually bother reading this thread. Why? Because some Singaporeans would much rather read about horrors on the MRT than actually respond to a thread about the success of another local musician (who isn't themselves), despite claiming to 'support the local scene wholeheartedly'

Think I'm talking nonsense? Look through the thread histories here for proof of that. I know that many of you reading this will know it in your hearts to be true. But thankfully, there are those who do truly support the scene and they are the miracle-workers! Great respects to them.

My best personal advice to musicians here is; focus on the international market first, then come back here. Or if you'd rather be patriotic, put your money where your mouth is and go out and buy some local albums, for real. But hey, to each their own I say and ultimately it's all down to personal choice.

Levan

P.S. Ling is proof that the Internet is a good way to promote yourself.
 
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how sad. i personally buy cds of local musicians that i like, but i find that i buy much more foreign cds. i still feel that a lot of local music isn't up to standard.

its sad that there's a trend of musicians needing to be recognised internationally before we start to appreciate them, but to think of it another way, perhaps it is due to the publicity they get after they are recognised overseas. that publicity then gets the musician a new wave of fans. i do remember lots of softies watching ling's youtube vids (myself included) and praising her, there's a thread on it somewhere.
 
oh well...

Whether you get recognition overseas or here first is not really a choice; if it happens locally first, then it happens, and vice versa lah. =)

If there's something to be said from my short experience, and I'm just putting in my 2cents (well, you guys are talking about me), you can't court your audience by COURTING your audience. Its a weird thing, showing the world your stuff, and balancing it with, its ok, you don't have to like it if you hate it. You can say you don't care, but if a musician doesn't care if people like their stuff, then play for what?

But you know what I mean right? Like posting posters of your own band on myspace as a comment to advertise your gig, after the 378th time, it just becomes a BIT much. But then where is the line? When do you become spam, and when are you promoting yourself? What's too much? Scissor kicks off an amp, too gimmicky? Nah, not if it comes from the heart. So just follow your bloody red pumper lah, dey! I make sense right? right? I hope so.

Its totally contradictory, promoting your own stuff. And I kind of hate it, but that's the way it is, and that's the way it will always be. Put your face out to the world and just pray no one slaps you. Haha. Its weird, put most of the time people tend to be a little more forgiving with your flubs if you are really just sincerely singing a song, in a "I just want to sing it" way, you know?

To be honest, I had a few takes of Larkin Step for YouTube recorded but I put up my very first take because it felt more honest. The rest were much better pitch-wise but they were boring! Because they were just "ok, I need to sing in tune Ineedtosing in tune singintune!" (But of cos you have to stay more or less in tune lah! But damn, those pitchy parts make me cringe so much still. I hate listening to myself. Did I just mention its totally contradictory?)

Musicians still need to put their music out there, and just wait to see if the fish bites. Its like the food court. If your food is good and you can smell the great cooking from a mile away, you think people won't queue up to get it? And who is the first judge of what's good? You as a musician, have the finest filter for what's crap and what's not, so switch on, stay dead-set objective, if you're good then feel good about it, don't hide and shyshy, its not good for health, people! (But then don't be like william hung la...its not good for health either.)

And its not like I'm famous! Please don't say that. "Recognition" for putting my guts out there for people to criticise online is one thing. But "Recognition" for my music...my music is still a long way off from being good. I'm not even sure how the EP will turn out, but man, recording is a god damn lot of hard work. I just hope I worked hard enough for this recording...its almost like putting your face on a huge bus and hoping no one thinks you're ugly and graffitti it all over. (All those rockstars who say, Just be yourself and the world will love you---well they're lying!!)

But about the overseas thing.

Just work hard on the music, and talk about it less. Afterall, which part of music is 'debating' under? =)

After you're done with music and you think it doesn't suck too much (if you asked amanda tee she'd never say, hey I just wrote a great song!) then don't shy! Just put it out there. There MIGHT be a bunch of people who like Scandinavia metal, so there MIGHT be a bunch of people who like, maybe, er...Chinese Metal with lots of electric violins? You never know right.

I didn't.

=)

Ling
 
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If you like Lingkai's music support her,if you don't ask yourself are you trying hard enough like her or you don't even try.

I am wondering whether FGL and LGF support Ling too? haaha
 
blueshoes said:
And who is the first judge of what's good? You as a musician, have the finest filter for what's crap and what's not, so switch on, stay dead-set objective, if you're good then feel good about it, don't hide and shyshy, its not good for health, people! (But then don't be like william hung la...its not good for health either.)
Click to expand...

Two issues here -
1) Musicians, like most artists have a feeling that what they do is good but need frequent assurance from others that they're good, or at least ok.
2) Not all musicians are good judge of what's good. Heck, even the best folks at record companies have problems.

Talent is a God-given - God is kind and gracious but He picks and chooses wisely. Other times, the devil messes about with God's work and peeps get involved.

So talent is one thing and then there is perseverance and hard-work - these two are not same same. Perseverance is finishing something that is started and while it is part of working hard, working hard covers a lot more - such as looking outside, making the effort to improve, etc etc etc.

But Ling, is cool lah. I still chuckle at how you took your guitar along for the long MRT ride just to see if things could work. That showed hard work - dedication and a desire to break and find something new. BTW, the place is properly furnished now ;-). And i still recall how you were surprised when I laughed at your comment that folks said two other local musicians were better than you. hurhurhur. No contest lah. Of course, I didn't expect 1 million + youtube hits from you but there was something definitely very good with Larkin Step and your voice.

Which brings me to the next two points, bad taste and a lack of intellectual and artistic integrity amongst musicians, not just locally but everywhere. It's actually really easy to string a few chords; write accompanying lyrics and call it a song.

Folks have to be more discerning of their own music. OK is just not good enough. It's got to be good and it's got to have an x-factor and prayerfully, you gotch good taste when you make those decisions concerning OK/good/bad/v.good . :mrgreen:
 
blueshoes said:
Scissor kicks off an amp, too gimmicky? Nah, not if it comes from the heart. So just follow your bloody red pumper lah, dey! I make sense right? right? I hope so.
Click to expand...

Ling's next Youtube clip will show her smashing her guitar and thrashing the amps in Schtung studios :mrgreen:

blueshoes said:
To be honest, I had a few takes of Larkin Step for YouTube recorded but I put up my very first take because it felt more honest. The rest were much better pitch-wise but they were boring!
Click to expand...

I agree with that...sometimes, the more you wanna fine-tune something, the more the essence of the song/parts gets lost. So even if it's technically/pitch-perfect, it just lost that very raw emotions that stem from the first/early attempts. That also explains why I usually stick to the first solos I write in songs (okay, feeble attempt to justify for my sucky guitar-playing! *lol*)

blueshoes said:
There MIGHT be a bunch of people who like Scandinavia metal, so there MIGHT be a bunch of people who like, maybe, er...Chinese Metal with lots of electric violins? You never know right.
Click to expand...

Dang! That was LGF's original idea! Heh...just kidding, but yeah, there's bound to be something for everyone out there. Just have to put it up and hope that group of people find their way to what we offer.

Having said that, all the best to Ling (and all other local musicians) who has taken a step closer to achieving where her passion takes her :)
 
Elias said:
I agree with that...sometimes, the more you wanna fine-tune something, the more the essence of the song/parts gets lost. So even if it's technically/pitch-perfect, it just lost that very raw emotions that stem from the first/early attempts. That also explains why I usually stick to the first solos I write in songs (okay, feeble attempt to justify for my sucky guitar-playing! *lol*)
Click to expand...

You seem confused between songwriting and performance. A solo should be part of the songwriting process. IOW, you need to work on it - the story, it's structure, the melody and how it blends with the other instruments etc etc etc.

If you can spend the time writing the song then you had better spend the time on the solo. Once the gist of it is down - then it's down to performance and for that a raw feel can sometimes suffice.
 
True true...You've got a valid point there but personally, my best-sounding solos/ideas written (in terms of choice of notes and not in terms of executing them) tend to be my first few attempts. The more I try to 'experiment' with it or fine-tune it, the less I'm satisfied with the results. Alot of times, there's a threshold of working on something until it becomes out of point/irrelevant/disconnected with my original feelings/emotions. Sometimes, I achieve the most interesting results by just letting my hands take control (at the spur of the moment) and not knowing what I'm doing *lol* Of course, it's just my own way of looking at it.

If the same sudden spurt of creative expression can achieved during songwriting as with performance, why not? ;)

Yup, Ling is talking in terms of performance but I'm just sharing my thoughts how I find that perspective works in songwriting too (at least to me lah) :)
 
Well one thing's for sure, she sure writes good songs for one who refused to write any until I think about two years ago, because she didn't think she had the 'talent' to write it.

Go Ling.

(Hire me!)
 
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