CLIVE John arrives at the Evening News office claiming to be a bit worse for wear.

But it's not quite the result of rock 'n' roll excess, more the toll of up to six gigs per week at places as far apart as Cornwall - where he has a summer residency in Newquay - and Warwickshire.

The 26-year-old, who grew up and still lives in Malvern, is putting in the miles and the hours to showcase his latest album, Purple Sky.

It's his second album in as many years from the prolific singer-songwriter who has taken his blend of Country and Western all over the world, but still gigs almost seven days a week around his native Malvern.

He spent six months in the United States, playing in venues around New York, Boston and Connecticut, though homesickness brought him back earlier this year.

The experience in America provided much of the inspiration for Purple Sky, as he shows on Rainy Day in Boston, chronicling the pain he felt when his brother left to return to Britain following a visit.

Despite his enjoyment of the US, Clive can't resist a swipe at the American dream sold with such enthusiasm, wryly observing how every road leads to a Fast Food Fiasco.

"It was a great experience on the whole," he recalls. "I think America

offers you more opportunities. I even ended up on a television show over there, which was a fantastic break."

But it looks like Australia's country and western scene could prove a draw for Clive - who might have ended up clutching building plans instead of a guitar, if he had decided to become a surveyor.

Out of the blue, Victoria's Mornington FM radio station, discovered one of his songs, In A Whisper, and helped propel the song to number 3 in the EMS Country and Western charts.

"It was weird because I've never even been to Australia. I had a phonecall and ended up getting up at 5.30am to do an interview."

Clive John plays The Swan pub at Hanley Swan tomorrow. For more information about gigs and his albums, visit www.clivejohn.com