DAMI Im has always found refuge in music.
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Having moved to Brisbane from her birthplace of Seoul as a child, Im said she had yet to learn English but had already been playing the piano for four years.
"I didn't speak any English at nine when we moved to Australia but I played the piano," she said.
"I focused on that because it came more naturally for me."
Im said she had encountered culture shock and overcome language barriers to pursue her dream career as a singer.
"There were no Korean children and hardly any Asian kids in my school and they all listened to different music," Im said.
"I remember telling my mum we had to go out and buy The Spice Girls album!"
Within two years Im began studying piano at the Young Conservatorium of Music program at Griffith University but never sang solo while still at school.
Only later did she study contemporary voice at the same university.
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Im's perseverance paid off when she won The X Factor in 2013 and took out the No. 1 spot on the ARIA charts with her platinum self-titled album Dami Im.
She has since released three more acclaimed studio albums and gave rise to a sold-out national tour.
Im travelled to Sweden to represent Australia at The Eurovision Song Contest 2016, when she placed second in the world performing in front of an audience of 200 million with her power ballad and international smash, Sound of Silence.
Im said she felt Australia was right behind her.
"I got so many tweets from everyone in Australia, even the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister," she said.
"It really felt very special."
This year's Live Sessions EP showcases Im's strength as a performer with live recordings of her biggest songs including Sound Of Silence, ARIA Top 10 single Super Love and tracks from her 2018 ARIA No. 3 album I Hear A Song.
At the piano, Im is nothing short of incredible.
"I love performing my songs live," Im said.
"It's the only time I can connect with each person on such an intimate level as I share the deepest parts of me."
Earlier this year Im joined Human Nature on their 2019 national tour.
During June she performed at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in Dami Im: My Life In Songs.
Part concert, part storytelling, Im's festival debut was well received with critics describing her as the "darling of Australian music".
THE LOWDOWN
WHAT: Dami Im Dreamer Tour, Albury Entertainment Centre
WHEN: Saturday, August 24, 8pm
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