FLICKY HARRISON talks to a success story from Swindon

Swindon's own chart topper, Josh Kumra, is currently working on a new album that will be released in the spring.

Josh sang the raspy vocals on Wretch 32's number one record, Don't Go, in 2011. That summer they performed at V Festival to a crowd of 80,000.

"It was an incredible feeling. They had to take away the barriers because it was just getting rammed as there were a couple of thousand more people than should have been in the tent,'' said Josh.

It was on the homeward journey that they heard the track had reached number one in the UK charts.

"This is what I had worked all my life to do, and to get a number one when I was only 20 was amazing,'' said Josh.

This summer Josh has completed a successful tour of Cornwall, and will be returning to Swindon to play at The Victoria, Victoria Road in Old Town, Swindon on Thursday, November 10.

He began playing guitar when he was 12-years-old, attended Headlands School and studied at The Academy of Music and Sound in Swindon. Josh released his debut album on Sony RCA in 2013 called Good Things Come To Those Who Don't Wait. His collaboration with Wretch 32, aka Jermaine Scott, was such a success that Josh went on to collaborate with other stars such as Fink, Emeli Sande, Naughty Boy and Mr Hudson.

He achieved one of his ambitions by appearing on TV's Later With Jools Holland, he has performed in Nashville, toured the UK and Europe and shared the stage with artists such as Lianne La Havas, One Republic and fellow Wiltshire artist Gabriel Aplin.

The songwriter was brought up in Pinehurst and his first influences were from his dad's music. He says that the three albums that made him want to perform were Tracy Chapman's self titled album, Experience by Jimi Hendrix and eponymous The Rolling Stones album. He played in the pubs and clubs around Wiltshire both as a solo artist and in a duo, Kicaberry, with Carra Bacon.

Josh has been labelled the Woody Guthrie of his time, compared to Ray Lamontagne, and had his music described as acoustic soul with a Kanye West kick, but he is always true to his own style.

The Swindon gig begins at 8pm and tickets are £5 in advance and £7 on the door. They are available from www.thevicswindon.com - Flicky Harrison