NEW ALBUM: Kim Yang 開燈 releases debut album Turn On The Lights
Kim Yang 開燈 releases debut album Turn On The Lights with striking one-take video and national tour
Taiwanese-Australian singer-songwriter Kim Yang releases her debut album Turn On The Lights (開燈) and accompanying video, before setting off on tour around Australia with shows in Canberra, Melbourne, Nambour and Perth, kicking off with a hometown album launch at The Street Theatre on Saturday 16 May.
The accompanying title track video is an intimate, one-shot music video that captures the quiet storm of stepping into the spotlight while grappling with self-doubt. Filmed at Smith’s Alternative in Canberra on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country, the video follows Kim Yang in a single continuous take as she confronts the fear, vulnerability and courage that reside beneath every performance. Without cuts and nowhere to hide, the camera becomes a witness to the trembling honesty of the moment – the breath before the first note, the weight of expectation and the fragile hope that the audience will understand. Blurring the line between performer and person, the video reveals the human heart behind the craft.
Kim Yang is a Taiwanese-Australian singer-songwriter whose music bridges cultures, languages, and emotional landscapes. With a sound rooted in indie-folk and enriched by global influences, her work explores themes of identity, belonging, mental health, and human connection. Blending indie-folk, cinematic soul, and bilingual storytelling, Turn On The Lights traces Kim’s journey from self-doubt to self-discovery and ultimately to self-acceptance. Written across multiple continents and shaped through international collaborations, the album features songs in both English and Mandarin, as well as co-writes with acclaimed artists including Katie Wighton (All Our Exes Live in Texas), Cara Hammond, and Tennyson King.
“I wanted my debut album to capture an insight into my essence… Through my musical journey, I have gone on a journey of self-discovery… Now I am at a moment of self-acceptance, confident to share my full story and help others on their own journeys.”
– Kim Yang
Created between Australia and China from 2023 to 2025, the album was brought to life with producer Louis Montgomery and a collective of collaborators, who contributed strings, vocals, and instrumentation across time zones. The result is a rich, textured body of work that feels both intimate and expansive.
Raw and deeply personal, Turn On The Lights invites you to sit inside the tension of being seen and the quiet bravery it takes to keep going.
TURN ON THE LIGHTS TOUR
Saturday 16 May
Turn On The Lights Album Launch
The Street Theatre, Canberra, ACT
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Tickets
Saturday 23 May
Brunswick Artists Bar, Melbourne, VIC
Accompanied by Emma Kelly (Happy Axe)
Free Entry
RSVP
Thursday 11 June
The Presynct, Nambour, QLD
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Tickets
Sunday 21 June
HUM Music, Newtown NSW - Entry by donation
2 pm - 2:30 pm
Saturday 25 July
Midlands Records, Perth, WA - Entry by donation
1.00 - 2:30 pm
All Kim Yang Shows: kimyangmusic.com/shows
Listen to Turn On The Lights
Bandcamp: kimyangmusic.bandcamp.com/album/turn-on-the-lights
All links here: ffm.to/turnonthelightskimyang