It was a text from her mom that set her off.
Richmondite Melanie Eng has been to see her idol Lights perform live around the continent 33 times in nine years and met her in person on more than a dozen occasions.
Eng and the Juno award-winning, Canadian singer, songwriter and musician are so familiar that they鈥檙e on first-name terms.
So you may forgive Eng for getting a little bit distracted when the message from her mom announced that Lights was coming to play at the Richmond World Festival next month.
鈥淢om saw it in the Richmond News and told me by text,鈥� said a rather excited Eng, a 30-year-old sound editor to trade and an up-and-coming singer/songwriter herself, with a second album just released.
鈥淚 was like 鈥榃hat?鈥� I was so excited. I couldn鈥檛 think properly, it was surreal. Richmond is my home town and no one ever really comes here to play.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 concentrate on my work and then I started Tweeting (at) Lights. She liked the Tweet and then replied to everyone (on her feed) confirming she was coming to town.鈥�
To help the News understand the depth of Eng鈥檚 devotion to the 鈥渁lternative pop鈥� star, she proudly laid out on display her entire Lights collection, including: signed albums; T-shirts; posters; bags and Lights鈥� self-written/illustrated comics.
鈥淲hen I set up my display here, I Tweeted (Lights) a picture, indicating I鈥檇 spent two hours of love doing this. She replied, 鈥榃ow!!, In love!!鈥欌�� laughed Eng.
鈥淚 feel like I kind of grew up with her in a way; I feel like I鈥檝e known her for nine years.
鈥淪he鈥檚 very unique and very talented, writes her own music, produces her own music, she鈥檚 very empowering for women.
鈥淪he always motivates me to never give up and is always uplifting and positive. She stands out from the crowd.鈥�
Eng has even played live video games with her idol in the streets of Downtown 麻豆传媒映画in the early hours of the morning.
鈥淚n the past, her assistant would reach out to me and some of her first fans to arrange to meet her before or after shows to hang out with her,鈥� explained Eng, who has several, discreet, Lights-inspired tattoos.
鈥淲e played the World of Warcraft game on her laptop in the streets, near her tour bus. I think it was about 1 a.m. I had to make sure I got my last train at about 1:15 a.m.鈥�
As well as Lights coming to town soon, Eng 鈥� whose music is, unsurprisingly inspired by Lights 鈥� has another reason to be excited; she鈥檚 just released her second album.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an acoustic album, based off my second album, Awake and Dreaming, it鈥檚 the same songs but with a different feel, more relaxed. It鈥檚 called Re-awakened,鈥� added Eng, saying the songs have been 鈥渟tripped down.鈥�
Eng, in fact, only broke through a major, mental barrier at the 麻豆传媒映画Sun Run in April 鈥� with her first live performance.
鈥淚t was in a tent, along the run. It was a good first place to perform, because people aren鈥檛 actually watching you, they鈥檙e just running past,鈥� laughed Eng.
鈥淚 was so nervous. Would I remember my lyrics? I was also going through a rough time, with a break-up three days before it.
鈥淎nd the song I was singing was related to a break-up, so it was hard for me to do. But I realized this was a great opportunity to step out of my shadow. And I didn鈥檛 mess up.鈥�
Eng鈥檚 new album is available on several platforms, including iTunes and Spotify.
