Who is he?
Richmond (Richey) Lam was named after his hometown, Richmond, Virginia, but he now lives in Los Angeles. He’s 26-years-old (but not sure if he’s supposed to reveal that to the press) and plays a mean acoustic guitar. Having studied voice performance at Nashville’s Belmont University and composition at the University of California Los Angeles, he’s proven to be a talented and knowledgeable young pop musician with an eye to the future. He’s also the grandson of a Hong Kong composer and a Chinese opera singer – but his accent and sunny outlook is 100 per cent American Pie.

Who does he sound like?
“Anybody who plays acoustic guitar gets compared to John Mayer,” says Lam. And fair enough – for his acoustic solos, he does exude the Mayer vibe. But Lam reckons he’s also got a bit of soul in his voice, and we have to agree with him. R&B influences are obvious, and there are some elements of folk and country there too. His songs, cleanly written pop numbers that are unashamedly about love, range from upbeat dance (Clap Your Hands) to swoony, slow-jam serenades (The Wahoo Song). Girls, bring an extra pair of panties to throw at his show.

What’s he got?
A couple of months ago, Lam released his third album, Generation i, co-produced with friends from the award-winning production company Hitplay. It’s a slick work of smooth American pop. He also has a song on the forthcoming Tucker Max-inspired movie I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (starring ex-porn star Traci Lords), though it’s yet to be seen if the track will make the final cut. The last record he bought was Hot Chip’s Made in the Dark, but he’s also into Justin Timberlake and country.

What’s he doing?
Lam is coming to Hong Kong as part of a mission to rediscover his Chinese roots – it’s been more than 15 years since he was last in the city. He’ll be here at least three months, playing gigs whenever he can. He’s a good performer, lacing his repertoire with witty banter. “I try to not just stand there and sing,” says Lam. “I try to entertain.”

Hamish McKenzie

Richey Lam plays Underground 76 on Sat 21 at The Melting Pot.