TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Australian-Taiwanese singer-songwriter Kim Yang (楊予菁) performed at Witch House on Friday (Aug. 11).
Making good on a recent promise to return to Taipei and perform live, Yang chose “Witch House,” a cozy, cultural coffee shop restaurant near National Taiwan University, for a great evening of enjoyable music despite the stormy weather. Quite surprisingly, this was Yang’s first public performance in Taiwan, and it was the first time her mother heard her sing live.
The venue was comfortably full for the 90 minutes of Yang’s indie-folk soulful music. Yang admitted to having to polish up her Mandarin for this performance, so as not to disappoint her local fans, and she was able to share a bilingual explanation of the meaning of each song she had carefully chosen for the evening.
Yang’s inspiration came from Joni Mitchell, the American indie folk band Bon Iver, and Taiwanese folk music. She sings about love, life, and mental health.
In 2021, Yang released her Brave EP, which aired on Australian radio and Taiwan’s ICRT radio, and she was nominated as MusicACT Artist of the Year in 2022, charming festivals across Australia, including the National, Sydney, and Woodford Folk Festivals. Australia’s “double j radio” once described Yang’s voice as “a little smoky, a little sweet – perhaps reminiscent of the great Tracy Chapman.”
Friday night’s selection covered the full range of Yang’s repertoire, starting out with her on guitar, then switching to ukulele. Yang also sang her poignant, fan-inspired tribute song “Missed Chance.”
Yang was, at one point in the evening, joined by Sean Lo, the percussionist from the local band “Bob Is Tired.” Lo, in the absence of a drum set, skillfully utilized an “egg shaker,” and the audience soon joined in to clap along to “Bath Song”.
The 90-minute session seemed to end too quickly for both Yang and the audience. Hopefully, Yang will return again soon. Expect new music from Yang shortly.
