At the age of 17 Nikki Aston became the lead singer of an all-girl band, she went on to tour and record with the group for over a year. This experience confirmed to Nikki that she wanted to pursue a career in singing. She now performs under her own name accompanied by Dan her acoustic guitarist, also taking bookings for cover version gigs at pubs and social clubs.

Two years ago she signed up with Major Music, an artist developing company and Nikki now works with Laurence Hobbs to co-write her songs. When asked about musical influences, she cites Bon Jovi, Kelly Clarkson and Lucy Silvers. Nikki’s voice is the perfect foil for guitar driven music: strong, emotionally convincing and with a musical range that can handle rock songs with a bit of attitude, pop numbers with funky touches or more sensitive ballads.

In 2007 Nikki entered a worldwide music internet competition called Fame Cast, after progressing to the final five she was invited to Texas where she successfully landed second place.

Playing the gig circuit in and around London, Nikki states: “Live work is a good confidence builder and I love singing – I don’t think I could do anything else”. She is always aware of the crowd reaction: “It’s not hard work if the audience is appreciative – it’s more difficult when the audience is switched off”.

Nikki comments on the creative process involved in making music: “People don’t appreciate how long things take. It took me two years to write the album”. She believes the music industry can be tougher for a woman in terms of physical appearance: “It annoys me that if you are a female singer nowadays it’s about image and what you look like and not about the music. It’s getting worse with X factor”. The television music talent shows focus on instant fame and celebrity success whilst ignoring the hard slog involved in becoming a singer.

In summer 2008 Nikki will independently release her eleven-track debut album: “I’m really proud of my work. I think they are all really good songs. I didn’t think I’d be able to get to this level”.