SINGAPORE — Chen Zhiming, aka Nelson Tan, may not be a name one recognises immediately. But the singer-songwriter has recently been seen performing with prominent indie bands like In Each Hand A Cutlass and A Vacant Affair. He has also released two Mandarin albums, with the latest, Kyrie Eleison, released in June this year.

It’s an album that Chen said was a reflection of his recent past. While his previous effort, Iron Man, focused on his his life as a teenager growing up, with the topic of relationship issues playing a huge part of his songwriting process, Chen said he wanted the follow-up to be different.

“(Iron Man) was like another love song compilation album. Though my style of music has never changed that much, I realised that I’ve grown in many ways within the past 10 years,” he said. “I realised that it has never been about me, but the people around me, the people who care, the people who will always be there for you.”

The songs in Kyrie Eleison track the life of “a young man right out of poly going to work in the real world, stumbling upon obstacles and learning to get back on his feet again,” he said.

“I’ve learned to take things within my stride and to always look on the bright side of life,” said Chen. “Kyrie Eleison will always be a reminder for all the valuable lessons that I’ve learned through the years. No one’s perfect and I had my fair share of mistakes and let-downs so this new album encompasses all that and somewhat sums up my life till now.”

The self-proclaimed perfectionist started learning music when he was very young, and from there the fire was stoked. “I met a friend a few years older than me who was really passionate about music. I always looked forward to lessons on Friday night as we will always talk about the music that we listened to during the past week and what new albums we bought with our pocket money,” said Chen. “His passion for music somehow influenced me to try out different instruments and musical styles. I realised that I was able to pick up drums, guitars and other instruments very quickly and I really enjoy music as a whole. Music is a big part of my life and it will always be that way.”

He started writing his own music at 14 (“I started out altering lyrics to songs that I heard on the radio and TV”) and made it to the finals of a songwriting competition with an English song, Long Forgotten.

“Since then I never looked back. I took a long time to write the rest of the songs for my first album but I never really had a chance to perform them live as I could never get a band together,” he said.

Chen then went the DIY route as an independent artiste. “I believe that to get things done the way you want it is to do it yourself,” he said. “I bought the album Both Sides by Phil Collins, and I found out that he wrote, recorded, performed and produced the entire album by himself. I was so inspired by his efforts and I told myself that I must be able to do that someday.”

Now, with Kyrie Eleison out, Chen hopes that his music can somehow strike a chord with the listening audience. “I hope to share my music with the world and that listeners will hear the sincerity in my work,” he said. “I hope that I will be able to let people feel a sense of belonging, a feeling that they are not alone — that someone feels the same way as you. I want to share my passion for music with everyone out there and I hope to inspire our young local talents to perfect their craft and never give up.

“It was never about fame or fortune to me,” he continued. “Music has the power to move the listener’s hearts and minds. I strongly believe in that and I will continue to do my best for the future of Singapore music.”

As for his own future, Chen said that he was working on a video of acoustic versions of his songs, slated to be out at the end of the year or early next year. He would also like to release an English album, although he said he didn’t know when he would be able to commit to that project. “I’ve written a duet which was supposed to be in Kyrie Eleison but I didn’t release it because I couldn’t find the right female singer. I’m keeping a lookout for that someone who clicks and I hope to release that song sometime around Chinese New Year in 2014,” he added.

In the meantime, those who like his music can find him in performing in the bars and clubs around town. “I do play some of my songs at the places that I perform and keep the crowd informed of my recent releases,” he said. “I hope to be able to perform at more places to expose my music to a greater audience.”

Kyrie Eleison is out in stores now. For more about Chen Zhiming, visit his website, www.chenzhiming.sg.