SINGAPORE : She may have already scored a record deal but it was YouTube and home-made videos that shot Marié Digby to fame.

Wanting to gain more exposure, Digby took things into her own hands and posted a video of herself doing a cover version of Rihanna's No. 1 hit "Umbrella" on YouTube. The acoustic remake became such a hit on the Internet, and the rest they say is history.

"It's still a relatively new thing and when I started the videos, of course I was hoping that people would like me and they would like my singing but I never imagine it would be on this scale and this quickly. I still wake up and I'm pinching my cheek," said Digby.

But judging from her schedule, it doesn't look like the 25-year-old will return to making home videos any time soon - all of which she insists is a one-woman production, with the occasional help from her dog.

In Singapore last week to perform at Zouk, Velvet Underground, and Gap Wisma Atria, Digby told Primetime Morning that though she had only began posting her home-made videos on YouTube a year ago, she had been writing songs since she was 15 years old.

Drawing inspiration from her life and past experiences, Digby said song-writing just came naturally to her, "It was easy because I never thought I would play it for people. For me, it was just my way of journal writing and it wasn’t until I was 18 or 19 years old that I finally found the nerve to play in front of people."

Digby had always fantasized about singing an original song in front of the entire school and the opportunity came knocking when her high school held a talent show, "I thought, 'This is it, this was my last chance,' so I entered a talent show," she said.

"I was so nervous, my heart was about to burst out of my chest and I finished the song, there was a moment of silence and then everybody stood up and I had a standing ovation. I just got chills and I thought I want to feel like this all the time."

Self described as a "normal girl with the biggest ambition in the world and the biggest passion," Digby’s out to prove that can do more. She released her official single "Say It Again" early this year, followed by her debut album "Unfold" - which she is extremely proud of - in April.

"Some songs I co-wrote with some of my friends but for the most part, the album was written by me and I would say the songs span as far way back as when I was 15 or 16 years old so it's really been about 10 years in the making," she said.

So what's her favourite song? "It changes on a weekly basis but I would say today would be, 'Voice on the Radio,'" said Digby.

You can check out the song on (where else?) YouTube. – CNA/il