From music on MySpace to making headlines - Yunalis Zarai, has a success story that brings to mind the likes of Marie Digby, Colbie Caillat, and of course, Zee Avi. With four Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) awards under her belt, she has come under the spotlight as a young artist to be reckoned with. Bagging Best Local English Song for her track, Deeper Conversation, as well as Best New Artist, she has come from guitar strumming with housemates to performing on the big stage - no mean feat for this humble 26-year-old from Subang Jaya.

Malaysian Today: From MySpace to four awards at the AIM - did you ever expect it, and how did you deal with the fame that came with it?
A: Never underestimate the power of networking sites! I uploaded a few tracks on MySpace, and did a few shows... and the rest was history. I'm actually still trying to deal with the fame! Never in a million years would I have thought that I'd be on that stage holding that award. Just a year ago I was watching the AIM on the telly with my housemates! And this year, I'm actually gaining recognition for my music. But fame is a funny thing. I feel like I'm the last person on earth who wants to be famous, because I'm a pretty private person. But what I like about it is that I get to reach more young people. I love communicating with them and sharing positive things with the youth. I'm just like them: A normal kid who loves music. I performed at Youth '10 recently, and to see around 500 screaming music-lovers (mostly boys) is just CRAZY!

Q: Who is Yuna, as an artist?
A: I'm just like any other person who loves music. I'm an extremely hardworking person. A businesswoman. A go-getter. Very strict and I have my own vision of how I want my career to be like.

Q: Who is Yuna, as a person?
A: Shy. Quiet. Observant. I'm a Scorpio so I'm very passionate about what I do. And I value honesty -I'm very real with people and I don't try to please everyone, so sometimes people appreciate that, and they sometimes don't, but it's okay.

Q: So taking those two into account, how do they complement each other?
A: You get a really good mixture of creativity and honesty, maybe? I don't quite know! (laughs)

Q: Folk, pop, alternative... these are some of the ways your music have been described. How would YOU describe your music?
A: Two different sides of pop-rock -there's the cheerful, happy side, and then there's the dark side of Yuna (I guess).

Q: What is your songwriting process like? Do you envision what your audience will think/say/feel?
A: Not really, I basically just write whatever that comes to mind at the time. I don't really change the lyrics last minute, that rarely happens. Whatever you're listening today it was made that way, since the first time it was written on paper. Like Rocket. I wrote that somewhere in Kuantan, after coming back from the beach. And it was about my guitar- that was pretty much it! 

Q: Who keeps you grounded?
A: My parents, and bandmates, and Wawa, my manager, she knocks sense into my head whenever I lose focus! (laughs) And my fans of course! They always remind me that I'm Malaysian, or that I'm a Muslim, or that I am from Subang Jaya - they are the greatest. They always remind me to always be thankful. So I'm always thankful to be where I am now.

Q: How would you advise a young singer/songwriter who wants to break into the music industry?
A: It takes a little bit of hard work, a little bit of luck to go wherever you want to go. I believe anyone can do it if they put their minds to it. You just gotta' be yourself, work hard, be nice to everyone (you won't get anywhere if you're mean, people won't like you!) be helpful, and most importantly, make good music. Make music for yourself and not for anyone else. Because at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that whether you're happy with your work or not.

Q: What plans do you have for the future? Is there an album in the works?
A: Right now, we're busy preparing for the album launch in July, so I can't tell you too much, as there are details to be sorted out. But the album will be in both Bahasa Malaysia and English (of course) and fans will be able to hear for themselves what I said earlier about the two sides of me: The cheerful, upbeat side and the darker, more edgy side of my music. I really like that balance and hopefully my fans will enjoy that too.