Four weeks ago, Dami Im stood on the Eurovision stage and stunned the world with her powerhouse vocals. Her rendition of ‘Sound of Silence’ garnered her second place and international acclaim. Yet that seems a world away when I speak to the platinum-selling artist, and find out she spent the last week in Uganda visiting her Compassion sponsor child.

“Doing that has really kept perspective about why I do what I do and why it all started,” she tells me.

Gracious, compelling, softly spoken—these are all words that could describe Dami Im. Yet when she takes to the stage, a huge, stunning voice comes out. That voice will be coming to regional Victoria in July as part of Dami’s ‘Yesterday Once More Tour’.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for years,” she says. “ I’m so looking forward to performing for people and the Dami Army who have been supporting me all throughout [my career].”

Her first headlining tour, she will begin in Frankston on July 1. Geelong is the second stop on Dami’s 35 leg tour, and she can’t wait to get behind the piano with her seven-piece band. “It’s going to be a really intimate setting. I’ve really loved these smaller types of venues because I really get to connect with each individual,” shares Dami.

Singing songs from her Classic Carpenters album, which has spent seven weeks on the charts, she can’t wait to perform her own rendition of her favourite Carpenters’ songs.

“They’re such great, well written songs. For me to perform that live with a band and in my own style will be quite special,” she says.

Purposely choosing a Carpenters’ song as the namesake for her regional tour, ‘Yesterday Once More’ holds sentimental value for the 27-year-old.

“That song is one of my favourites from the Classic Carpenters album,” she explains. “That song really takes me to another place. It brings a nostalgia about my childhood…and I thought with this tour, when people hear my music, it will take them to another place.”

After speaking with Dami, her decision to visit regional areas makes sense. While the Queensland local could reel in an audience at major venues across Australia, she has chosen to go to her fans instead of making them come to her.

“Since I was first known by people through X Factor and all the way to Eurovision…I thought it would be really nice to go and visit those places where people have been supporting me,” says Dami. “These loyal fans aren’t always in these metro areas, they’re often spread out across the country. So I thought, ‘Why not see as many as I can?’ and I just thought it would be fun to really tour, get on the bus, travel around and do these smaller venues.”

Despite her success on the world stage and the gold status of latest single ‘Sound of Silence’, Dami is genuinely humbled at the prospect of her regional tour. She remembers her unassuming start as a contestant on X Factor, and this gives context to her whirlwind life.

“I had to get used to this lifestyle and getting to perform with the band” she says.

“My family, my faith and making a difference in the world—that’s kept me grounded.”

Dami Im comes to Frankston and Geelong in July, before she heads around Australia and reaches Bendigo in November. “I’m really looking forward to beginning this amazing, exciting journey ahead, and I started it all from Geelong,” she says excitedly.