AN up and coming solo artist, who is used to playing acoustic gigs, is looking for a guitarist and other musicians to help her promote a new album.

Laura Thompson, who has just completed her second acoustic album, Inside Violet Clouds, is set to re-record it with a full band.

She hopes the album will be completed by July, and is aiming to play a mini tour to promote it.

In the studio she will be playing bass, guitar and vocals for the CD, and drums on the recording will be provided by Luke Gregg, who used to play in a former band with her.

"For the last year I've been recording my songs in demo form and have put together two acoustic albums," she says.

"I've also been looking for a guitarist during this time, but so far I haven't had much luck.

"I've only played a couple of gigs over the last year because of this."

Laura, who lives in Worcester, says a mini tour to promote the new album will most likely mean putting a band together.

"Ideally I'm looking for a guitarist with similar influences to myself who would be happy just to play my stuff for the purpose of gigging," she says.

"Once I've found the right person for the job, I might expand and find a bass player and a drummer to complete the line-up, or I might stay gigging acoustically as I have been for the past couple of years."

Laura, aged 20, studied music at Worcester College of Technology.

She learnt to play the bass at the age of 16, then learnt guitar at the age of 17.

"I really got into writing and performing my own music in 2002 when I joined the Access to Music Course run by the Technology College," she says.

"There I formed my first band, Alice Loves Picasso, recruiting Julian Smith on guitar, Lucy White on vocals, and Luke Gregg on drums."

Alice Loves Picasso made it through to the quarter finals of Worcester Marr's Barr's Battle of the Bands before their split in May 2002.

Laura compiled her first acoustic album Dirt and Details in July 2003, which was closely followed by her second acoustic album Inside Violet Clouds in February this year.

Any guitarists or musicians that would be interested in working with Laura should contact her by e-mail on lauragrrl@hotmail.com