The Underground music promotion events are showcasing some of the city's brightest emerging talents, with the latest instalment to be headlined by singer-songwriter Luke Chow, a 19-year-old dentistry student. Based in Hong Kong since September last year, Chow has been angling for a musical career for years. 'I wanted to play guitar because I liked a lot of cheesy bands,' he says. 'I played air guitar and wanted to be in a band. I thought it was cool - it was that simple.' But after joining a band in his home town of Norwich, England, Chow quickly realised the format didn't suit his style. 'The band didn't really go very far,' he says. 'But it taught me the kind of people that I knew I wouldn't want to work with again. It showed me I needed to work solo. 'What's good about being a solo artist is that, if I want piano for a song, for example, I can just ask a piano player. I'm not restricted by anything. 'It's much more flexible and I'm not at the mercy of the other band members. It's something with much more of a future for me.' Free from the restrictions of being in a band, Chow picked up an acoustic guitar during his travels in Germany, which included some time in Berlin. He then made full use of the opportunity to write at leisure. 'I make catchy acoustic pop,' he says. 'When I write a song I think about the end product and that's what excites me. Often I look at what I don't like about my old songs and improve on that for the new ones. 'When I write lyrics, however, I never think about what I want to achieve. I just sing, and it comes out. I write about what I'm feeling at that precise moment in time. 'It's very selfish music. I don't write songs for other people. It's great when they can enjoy it though.' A regular performer at open-mic nights around the city, Chow has been enticing growing crowds. His sound has been compared to Morrissey of The Smiths, John Mayer, Elliott Smith and Dave Mathews. Chow points to the Rockit Festival as a particular performance highlight. He was one of a handful of acoustic musicians who played impromptu, intimate gigs in the marquee on the Sunday morning. 'The idea was a last-minute addition to the festival and I was invited. It turned out to be a great experience, and I met a lot of interesting people.' Chow is now in the studio finishing his contribution to a compilation CD to be released by Touch Music. 'It's great to be involved,' he says. 'The best local talent is involved and it's all being organised very well.' But his musical ambitions are grounded by his vocational training. Chow is a first-year dentistry student at the University of Hong Kong, and says he enjoys it. 'It helps with my music - to know what is creative you have to know what isn't, I think. People don't really know what I'm doing there most the time. They think I'm an exchange student.' Chow also now has a solid backing band. After seeing Chow play, Mike Salcedo and Glenn Bogador from local metal act Shepherds the Weak offered their services, and the trio have not looked back. 'The songs are far more energetic and lively now,' Chow says. 'It's a full sound. 'The Underground show is the first with the complete lineup. I'm taking it all much more seriously now. I want to impress people from a performance point of view.' Underground, also featuring Time and Motion, Over a Dogma and LaZyI, today, 8pm, The Venue, G/F 15-19 Luard Rd, Wan Chai, free. For details go to www.undergroundhk.com