I am an international multi award-winning singer and songwriter, as well as an exhibited visual artist.

Born in Malaysia and currently based in the country’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, I found my greatest influences in rock and blues, leading me to fearlessly defy genre barriers in every project I explore and create, consistently delivering a fresh sound that speaks to listeners across generations worldwide.

My inspiring passion for the craft and ability to glide in and out of multiple genres, including metal and country, has led me to win remarkable acclaims around the globe. Upon the release of my debut EP “This is Lyia”, I managed to garner stunning recognitions, receiving six nominations and the award for Best Overall Female Act at the Voice Independent Music Awards (VIMA) in May 2016. Described as “raw,” “organic” and “bold,” the EP is a striking reflection of my roots in rock, blues, and pop and served as my springboard into the international circuit.

Following the success of my debut offering that same year, I was nominated to the top 5 in the Best New Artist category at the Anugerah Industri Awards (A.I.M), Malaysia’s equivalent of the U.S. Grammy® awards.

My latest EP “15013”, released on May 20, 2021, sees me exploring new sonic territories, resulting in a gorgeous project that blends my Earthy, blues roots, with compelling jazz. Through six distinctive and breath-taking songs, including the magnificently nostalgic track “Daylight” (finalist at The Rome Music Video Awards 2021 in the Original Song category and Vesuvius International Film Festival in the Best Music Video Clip and Best Music Only categories) I crafted an impactful story, borne from a tapestry of the most profound emotions, and boldly shared my truth with my fans all over the world. The EP has achieved praise in Rolling Stone India and continues to receive positive press with its individual tracks, winning awards throughout the world.

A truly global artist, I regularly brings my enthralling sound through the Kuala Lumpur club circuit, with spectacular performances. I was also officially invited to perform at the 8th edition of The Texas Sounds Music Awards in Jefferson, Texas this past October where, due to the pandemic travel restrictions, I was awarded OFFICIAL WINNER – VOCALIST OF THE YEAR – VIRTUAL ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR. I have also been invited by Texas Tech University (Jefferson) to conduct a series of seminars on cultural exchange and tourism in Malaysia, through which I will promote cultural understanding and tourism between nations.

Among my many other notable achievements, includes: The Gold Medal Award for Best Rock Ballad for my song “Slumber,” awarded to me at the Global Music Awards, California (2017); Radio Wigwam’s Best Female Artist award (2017); The Josie Music Awards’ World Music Artist of the Year award (2018), and multi-genre ARTIST OF THE YEAR award (2019). I also achieved a Grammy®️ Award balloting (Craft Committee) for my song “SLUMBER REMIX” in 2019, the Metal Performance category in 2020, and again first round balloting Grammy®️ Award in 2021, for the categories of BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM for my album ‘15013’, R&B PERFORMANCE for my song DAYLIGHT, and BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO for my song THIS ONE’S FOR YOU. I was nominated in two categories for the 2020 International Portuguese Music Awards and am currently nominated in the HOLLYWOOD MUSIC IN MEDIA AWARDS Jazz category for my recording of SING A SAD SONG, another track from muy new album ‘15013’!

I grew up in a family and environment surrounded by music because that was our only true source of entertainment. We didn’t know any other way! It was totally normal to have the radio on all the time, singing along or dancing to the music of the time that was being played. Stepping into a life of performing professionally was very natural for me.

I am an independent singer, performer, songwriter, producer as well as a visual artist. As a fulltime professional performer, I've travelled and lived in 5 Star hotels across the peninsula of Malaysia, holding Residencies that lasted for months on end. In recent years I've tailored my shows to cater to the live club circuit in our capital, Kuala Lumpur. As I became more well-known and made more international connections, I’ve been collaborating with songwriters, musicians, producers and podcasters worldwide which has afforded me new and exciting opportunities, each of which has been very rewarding!

I've become more versatile as I take more chances and exercise more control! Because my musical and visual arts palette is so broad, I’ve been able to use “stretch goals” to push out the boundaries of what I choose to do in terms of the music and visual art I make! Every new project is an opportunity to reach higher and farther!

Impressive for me is when a performer gives the audience memories to remember them by, and even more so when the audience tells the performer that they’ve done so. Impressive to me is my being able to emotionally connect and touch a listener. I want to make my audience feel the emotions I wish to convey through the music and lyrics and my performance. That’s my own personal highlight—when an audience member tells me how much my performance meant to them!

I have none. It’s all in the moment!! But I do believe in hard work. I can spend anything from a few hours to months on one song but I have very exacting standards so I never let a song go and send it out into the world unless I am totally satisfied that it’s the best it can be and reflects what I wanted to create!

I give 100% to all my performances. If I can give my audience something to remember me by, then I've done a good job. Anytime I get a request for an encore (which is quite common), that's a good job. But I also like to leave them wanting for more!

Every artist brings a unique experience to their shows. Unless they are off-key, tone deaf or out-of-sync and falling all over the stage, I would say there are no bad performances.

I’m ecstatic, honoured and thrilled! 3 Awards is plenty to be excited about!!! To be in such illustrious company with winners from the various categories is quite humbling. For me, it means being recognized for my hard work, artistry and talent. It also allows me to widen the reach of my audience.

I already operate in a global music environment but it’s a H-U-G-E listening world and I’m always looking to expand my musical presence! The prestige of the LIT Talent Award provides me with more exposure that I may not have had access to before and hopefully aligns me with others with similar goals! The three LIT Talent Awards elevate my presence as an Artist globally in the categories awarded!

I recorded the album ’15013’ as a virtual collaboration between Los Angeles, California, Nashville, Tennessee and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Although I never took a flight to any of these locations, our process and results can only be described as REMARKABLE!

The PLATINUM and GOLD winning song for The LIT Talent Awards, ‘THIS ONE’S FOR YOU”, was the first single recorded from the album. Written and composed by Denise Dimin from Los Angeles, we teamed up with producer Bob McGilpin from Nashville with me as the coproducer.

There is a 15-hour difference between L.A. and Malaysia. With Nashville, it was a 13-hour difference. The only challenge I faced was finding time to sleep!!! But then again, that didn’t deter me from my course as I spearheaded the direction of the album.

For every hurdle you overcome, there will always be one more! There will never be a time when there are none. So, give 100% every day. We are what we surround ourselves with. Strive for something realistic but stretch those goals! Hard work pays off. Fame is fleeting. And create something you really love and will, hopefully, always love!

My mother. She’s made me a fighter. My dad, for his influences in music and art. And my life partner, Zack, for his persistence in pushing me to be a better version of myself--always. No slacking and definitely no excuses!

I admire kindness, strength, honesty and confidence. This motivates me and there are so many in my inner circle who possess those qualities. I’ve had to learn to expand my orbit and trust new members, but my intuition has, so far, been on the nose!

I would love to collaborate with artists/songwriters and producers who value me as an artist and know my worth. But if I were to name anyone, SLASH and Warren Haynes come to mind.

Annemarie Picerno, Sharon Lia, Helen O’Shea

No shortcuts. Hard work, hard work, and then more hard work!

I’m working on a few smaller projects with other artists. Denise Dimin, the songwriter and composer for my LIT Talent Awards winning song THIS ONE’S FOR YOU and I have discussed doing more music. That would probably be a bigger project than the rest. So that’s something to look forward to. It is all in the discussion stage. In spite of the pandemic, 2021 was a very busy and rewarding year for me so I need to digest what’s taken place and take a few very long and deep breaths to get a sense of where I want (or need) to go!

Being paid more for music streams would be great! A stop to piracy might be a pipe dream, but I try to be optimistic. And a more reciprocal way to exposure my music to a larger audience!

This was my first experience with the LIT Talent Awards! It was a seamless process and I’m delighted with the results! I’m honoured to have received the awards bestowed on me and hope to return next year! And thank you very much for this opportunity to share my thoughts with your readers!