IT ALL went wrong in a mere three minutes into the interview.

The group of local journalists (including this reporter) were huddled around a speaker phone talking with Taiwanese singer Faith Yang.

We had just asked the 35-year-old our third question when we were rudely shocked.

There were some muffled voices in the background, then a voice - clearly not Faith's - said: 'Sorry, please focus your questions on her new album.'

We were baffled. Wasn't that exactly what we had been doing?

Our questions thus far had been centred on her new full-length English album, Self-Selected.

The third question touched on the release date of that album. It was initially slated for last year but was pushed back to this year due to contractual issues.

Now, if such a mild talking point could be a sore point for her, we simply couldn't imagine what would have happened if we had asked more personal questions.

There was barely enough time for us to react before the next shocker - Faith and her management team in Taiwan hung up on us.

Eventually, the situation was resolved when the record company executive, who was with the journalists here, called Faith's manager back and the interview resumed.

But it was hardly smooth sailing from then on.

Twice during the 20-minute interview, Faith's managers stepped in to reiterate that we 'were to strictly stick to the album'.

Before the interview, her management had requested all reporters to send in their questions. All in all, the entire episode was frustrating.

Admittedly, it was disappointing too because stand-offish behaviour was the last thing one expected from Faith, who in her 12-year career, has carved out a niche in the Mandopop scene as a rock chick.

Her hits, such as Silence, Oneself and Duchess, contain heavy guitar riffs and gothic undertones.

She has a voice rich with emotion, like that of a younger version of Melissa Etheridge or Janis Joplin.

It made her stand out from the bevy of karaoke-friendly bubblegum singers and their thin, wispy voices.

In 2000, she won Best Female Performer at the Golden Melody Awards, Taiwan's highest honours in the music industry.

To many, Faith was one artiste who has always been about the music, not the fame or publicity.

So what's with that celebrity over-sensitivity? Faith, of course, wouldn't say.

She would only talk about Self-Selected, in which she paid tribute to her favourite musical heroes.

Covers

Her covers of hits by Radiohead, The Verve, Blur and the late singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley are refreshing and easy on the ears.

'I loved Jeff Buckley's rendition of Hallelujah, so I jumped at the chance to cover it,' she said.

'He was a great musician. I remember watching him at one of his live concerts in the late '90s.

'It's so sad that a few years later, I would read news of his death.'

She added: 'Another song I chose was Blur's Song 2 because it's such a wild, catchy song and it reminded me of nights my friends and I went dancing at clubs.'

Faith also had many kind words for Hong Kong singer Eason Chan, who sang with her on the cover of the Lou Reed song, Perfect Day.

She said: 'Should he have not been able to do the duet, I'm sure I wouldn't have gone ahead with recording it.'

Now, if only she could be half as kind to reporters as she was to Eason.

This article was first published in The New Paper