The new Joni Mitchell

But then when you hear Bristol-born singer-songwriter Amy Wadge's distinctive voice - which has also been likened to Joni Mitchell's - you begin to understand why.

The star - who currently lives in Cardiff - got her first Radio One airplay at the tender age of 14 as half of the girl-group Two of a Mind with their cover of The Great Pretender, which mesmerised listeners and climbed to number 75 in the charts.

Years on, the singer is no less mesmerising as she is busy touring the UK with her band to promote her latest album, Woj.

The songs from the album stem from the last two years, with Amy using her everyday feelings as a baseline for the lyrics.

The peculiar title for the album - a fine blend of styles, from uplifting guitar-driven ballads (Valley Boy) to down-tempo, contemplative, piano-led songs (Nothing) - is a reference to the fact people puzzle over the pronunciation of her name.

"Everybody calls me 'Waj' all the time - it's been in the family for ages and it's funny. But it's been such a thing for years that I thought finally, with the album, I could put it right," she said.

Amy will be pulling up in Worcester as part of her tour on Sunday, October 17, for an intimate gig at the city's Marrs Bar, on Pierpoint Street.

She is no stranger to the venue, having performed there ever since it opened back in 2000.

"I've got a really nice following in Worcester, so I keep coming back to play here because it's a great venue and it always attracts a really good audience," she said.

Amy's musical story really took off in 2001, when she released a single, Saddest Eyes - which was when she was heralded the new Joni Mitchell by the London Evening Standard.

She was subsequently asked to perform at Radio Two Live in Cardiff and released her mini-album The Famous Hour, in March 2002, which enjoyed a favourable response.

It also proved her year when she won Best Female Solo Artist category in the Welsh Music awards, fighting off stiff competition from the likes of ex-Catatonia lead singer Cerys Matthews.

She also played the Cambridge Folk Festival and Cardiff Mardi Gras that - performing to more than 30,000 people.

Further praise came when the French national Press proclaimed her the highlight of the Lorient Interceltique Festival in Brittany, when she graced the stage there in 2002 and again in 2003.

And as the compliments kept rolling in, the singer built on her success in 2003, with performances at Glastonbury Festival, supporting Van Morrison at the prestigious Larmer Tree Festival and headlining the Caerphilly Castle festival.

She also played support for Eric Bibb, following a successful tour with the musician in the UK and Ireland in October 2002.

Now 2004 is already unfolding as another great year for the singer, whose latest album features a whole host of talent, including Aled Richards (ex-Catatonia) on drums, Dave Bronze (who has worked with Eric Clapton) on bass and Robbie Macintosh (who has worked with Paul McCartney and The Pretenders) on guitar.

She has already completed a UK tour which culminated in her being asked to open for the legendary Jeff Beck on his first tour for 14 years.

"This year has been a pretty hectic year," she said.

"It's the only real way to gauge it, by the amount of gigs you do, so from that point of view, it's going very well.

Now Amy is back on the road with another UK tour and is currently working on her next album, due out in May next year, when she also hopes to return to Australia for another tour, following performances there last year.

"The next album is going to be slightly different - it's not going to have as much electric guitar and will be bit more going back to my roots - a lot more acoustic and a bit less produced," she said.

Tickets for the Marr's Bar gig are £5 in advance or £6.50 on the door.

Drummers and singers offered free lessons as music school taster

WANNABE musicians dreaming of becoming the next big thing are being offered the chance to take a step in the right direction - with a free music lesson.

The Yamaha Music School - based at Cranes Music on New Street in Worcester - is offering complete beginners free drum or vocal lessons on Saturday, October 25, as previews of full workshops.

The school already teaches keyboards and the drum workshops - for those aged nine and above - offer an encyclopaedic knowledge of drum patterns, styles and fills and teaches all the rudiments required to prepare players for any drumming situation.

It is taught by professional session-standard drummers and the school is equipped with a special studio containing a mixture of live kits and practice pads.

The vocal workshops are aimed at people who want to sing for pleasure and is for people aged 11 and above.

It deals with stage presence, microphone techniques, backing vocals and solo performance and combines the essential elements of voice coaching with snippets of jazz and classical, plus theory training.

"The tradition of Cranes Music has always been to offer the highest possible standard of instrumental tuition," said the school's principal Steve Grice.

"Our commitment to excellence continues with the introduction of these exciting new courses - which will show how easy it is to get started."

To book a free drum or vocal lesson, call the school on 01905 23023.

MK Ultra live gig

THE sound of live ambient electronica will be coming to Malvern this evening as the town plays host to a set by MK Ultra.

Named after the CIA's infamous 1950's mind control program, the group consist of Paul White, editor of music technology magazine Sound on Sound (electric guitar and effects), and Tony Beech (samples and laptops).

The duo have been described as a chance meeting between Pink Floyd and Aphex Twin and they will be playing at St Ann's Well Caf in the Malvern Hills at 8pm tonight.

Entry is £4 and a Paul White CD is included in the price.

Wreckless

THE notorious Wreckless Eric will be gracing the stage at Worcester's Marr's Bar on Monday evening for what promises to be a memorable evening of songs.

Eric gained notoriety as part of Stiff Records' highly eclectic roster of punk and new-wave artists during the late 70s and is best known for his early singles.

From the day he walked into a studio with Nick Lowe in 1976 to record the smash hit Whole Wide World, he has remained a seminal figure on the outer fringes of British music.

He virtually invented the 'lo-fi' genre in the early 80s. Tickets for the gig are £5 in advance or £6 on the door.

His spirit of bloody-minded independence has no doubt prevented him from reaching a wider audience but, coupled with an engaging sense of humour and a natural feel for rock and roll, has assured his status as a cult hero.and now emerges after a lengthy confinement in a home studio warmed by glowing valves, malfunctioning tape machines and bewildering computer programmes.