It's nice to be able to say that there's pure talent coming out of Bradford and I'd argue that the most exciting act I've had the pleasure of seeing on numerous occasions over the past year is Lauren and the Trio.

Their highly-original, soulful and spirited sound deserves to be heard by any true fan of music.

A mixture of acoustic funk, blues and classic soul, Lauren's sound could be said to be influenced by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Nina Simone.

Credit is also due to her writing partner and lead guitarist, Tom Gee who has an infectious Jack Johnson type voice and who has clearly being influenced by guitar legend Eric Clapton.

The band recently played at the Bradford Young Citizen Awards.

Lauren is currently in the studio looking to complete her debut album Intimate-Sightseeing, which fuses the above sounds and, she herself says, highlights the raw tones of today's youth. It is expected to produce a sound never heard before to awaiting fans.

Lauren's sound has been shared with audiences across the region and at the Royal Albert Hall in London where she clsoed the recent Schools Proms Concert in front of a 5,000-strong audience.

It doesn't stop there. She has attracted publicity and reviews far and wide from highly-regarded people in the business such as music producer, director and composer Howard Goodhall.

With many gigs over the next few months, the place to be in Bradford on May 3 will be The Rosse in Saltaire where Lauren and The Trio will perform a live set which I have no doubts will go down well.

Check out the band's website where you can hear a sample of their songs and that mind-blowing Royal Albert Hall performance. So come on Bradford, let's get behind an up-and-coming local band that I have no reservations in saying will be an undoubted success!

For more information about Lauren and the Trio visit myspace.com/laurennewmusic