There’s a particular kind of vulnerability that comes with stepping into the spotlight for the first time — and for her debut album, Taiwanese-Australian artist Kim Yang leans directly into that tension. Ahead of the release of her debut record Turn On The Lights tomorrow, we’re proud to premiere the striking video for its title track, “Turn On The Lights”.
Filmed in a single continuous take at Smith’s Alternative on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country, the video captures what can only be described as the quiet storm of performance. There are no edits, no safety nets — just Yang, the camera, and the weight of expectation. It’s a brave, creative choice that pays off: every flicker of doubt, every breath before a note, every moment of resolve is laid bare. As the performance unfolds, the line between artist and individual dissolves, revealing the deeply human core behind the craft.
Directed by Adi Watters, with cinematography from James Hiscutt, the one-shot approach feels both intimate and quietly cinematic — heightening the sense that we’re witnessing something unguarded and real as it happens.
It’s a powerful visual counterpart to a song that sits right at the heart of the album’s emotional arc. Opening Turn On The Lights, the track sets the tone for a journey that moves from uncertainty to self-acceptance, framing the album as both a personal reckoning and an invitation for listeners to reflect on their own.
As Yang explains:
“This song reflects my thought process when preparing to perform in front of a large audience. I wrote it from the perspective of a magician, acknowledging stage fright and self-doubt about whether the audience will enjoy my magic tricks (songs) and whether I will meet their expectations. Simultaneously, the lyrics yearn for the moment the show ends, the lights turn on, and I get to see the audience’s reaction. Louis Montgomery and I arranged the song with just an acoustic guitar, gradually adding piano chords, slow marching drums, and a mellotron. The song’s production creates an anxious feeling at the album’s start, leading to my self-discovery journey through the subsequent tracks.”
That sense of performance as quiet theatre extends directly into the visual. Yang describes the video as unfolding like a piece of live storytelling — one where movement, light and symbolism gradually pull the viewer deeper into the moment:
“The video opens in black and white, following me as I move from the stage through the room — singing, playing guitar, drifting between tables and candlelight. I slip a joker card into an audience member’s hand, wander across the space, and let the performance unfold like a quiet piece of theatre.
I set the guitar down and walk toward the audience tables, blowing out the candles. When I return to the camera, the lights begin to pulse — and the world slowly shifts into colour, as if the magic I’m singing about is finally revealing itself.
I keep singing beneath the rising glow, moving with the music until the final line arrives. I blow glitter from my hand toward the camera, the curtain drops, and the moment dissolves — leaving the magic suspended in the air.”
That push-and-pull between illusion and exposure is threaded through the lyrics themselves — from the opening question of identity, “Who am I… on the stage?” to the quiet tension of wanting control while knowing it might slip away. The repeated refrain, “Before they turn on the lights”, lands like a moment suspended in time — the final breath before everything is revealed.
The album was worked on in Australia and China, and shaped through collaborations in each location. It blends indie-folk, cinematic soul and bilingual storytelling, with songs in both English and Mandarin. Across its eleven tracks, Yang explores identity, belonging, mental health and connection, ultimately arriving at a place of self-acceptance.
With this premiere, Kim Yang doesn’t just introduce a debut album — she invites us into the most fragile, uncertain moment of creation, and finds strength within it.
Kim will be touring the album in May, June and July in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. All the dates are below. Get along if you can and support live music.
Turn on the Lights will be released on the 7th May. Be sure to pre-save or pre-order it. Watch the video for “Turn On The Lights” below.
Turn on the Lights Tour
Saturday 16 May – Album Launch – The Street Theatre, Canberra, ACT – 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm – Tickets HERE
Thursday 11 June – The Presynct, Nambour, QLD – 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Tickets HERE
Sunday 21 June – HUM Music, Newtown NSW – 2 pm – 2:30 pm – FREE ENTRY
Saturday 25 July – Midlands Records, Perth, WA – 1.00 – 2:30 pm
You can give Kim Yang a follow on her Website, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp
Header image credit: Corinna & Dylan Photography
