Moving, intriguing, "freaking amazing", awesome and soulful are just a handful of the words and phrases that critics and fans alike have used to describe the refreshingly original songwriting and vocal talents of Singaporean acoustic artist Ling Kai. As a regular performer in the independent Singapore music scene, Ling has become recognised as an intuitive musician whose catchy guitar lines and rich, expressive voice make each live appearance an engaging experience highlighted by her playful yet unassuming stage presence.

Ling Kai signed with independent Australian record label Lempicka Records in May of 2008 and work soon began on her debut release. The six track "Honestly" was released on the 28th November and is available at all major record outlets in Singapore and in online music stores. Ling has already managed to reach and resonate with audiences across the globe through the medium of Youtube where she is most well known by her username "ling86." While initially posting videos of various cover versions from artists like Rachel Yamagata and Elliot Smith, Ling premièred her original song "Larkin Step" and struck a major chord in the online community.

After the song was featured on the YouTube main page by a guest editor, Ling became an overnight sensation and the video had soon reached the milestone of racking up One Million views from enthusiastic fans and fellow online musicians. In the flood of user comments, emails, blogs and outpouring of support that followed this breakthrough, Ling was approached by major record labels and producers for various deals but ultimately rejected the offers due to her feeling that each deal required her to conform to a certain mould determined by corporate interests and expectations.

Unfortunately, Ling was quickly confronted with a disappointing and frustrating situation when her Youtube account being hacked by unscrupulous parties whose actions soon lead to the suspension of her account and the removal of the "Larkin Step" video. Many months followed before the return of Ling's account by Youtube, aided by emails and petitions generated by her still-growing online following.

Ling marked the re-activation of her account with the debut of another original song "21 Years" which has since generated much appreciative feedback from her fans and subscribers who are delighted with her return. During this period of time, Ling was approached by and signed with the independent label Lempicka Records, who, in Ling's own words, proved to be "refreshingly un-cronied, selfish or corporate" and provided her with a "nice way to break through the limits I put on myself and my music." Ling's debut EP "Honestly" was recorded in Singapore and Australia through July-August 08 and was released to eager audiences on the 28th November. She appeared on the first episode of Channel Five's Live 'N' Loaded programme and is current working hard to promote her debut release.

With a maturity in her songwriting that belies her youth, this 22 year old singer/songwriter is a unique talent, a heart-rending, emotive vocalist breathing life into poetic and enigmatic lyrics to produce songs that reach deeply into the mind and soul of the listener.

Ling uses the Maestro CJ-1 (discontinued vintage model). Visit her website at http://www.lingkaimusic.com.