FIVE years is a long time in the music industry, and even longer if you have dropped everything to pursue your dream of wowing crowds with your guitar.

But perseverance and patience has paid off for one Barrhead musician who has just bagged herself a record deal.

Singer-songwriter Todi, a former pupil at Springhill Primary and Barrhead High schools, can now look forward to the release of a single, album and music video under the stewardship of former Paul Weller and Blue Nile publisher Alex Balkin.

Formerly based in Troon and now working out of Cheshire, Alex Balkin Records had been courting 21-year-old Todi for a while before taking the plunge and signing her up earlier this month.

Having left school at just 16 and worked in a local nursery for a few months, Todi has now been pursuing her musical goals full-time for almost five years and hopes that this is her chance to prove herself.

Speaking to the Barrhead News, Todi said: “I was 11 when I first started writing music, taking inspiration from my musical dad, and I have been gigging since I was 15, so I feel like I am ready for this now and that the time is right.

“I have really known that this is where I’ve wanted to be for a while, and now I have the chance to prove it. Alex had made it clear that he was keeping an eye on how I was progressing and he had been down to watch me a few times.

“It’s amazing that I’ve got a deal now and I get the chance to work with talented musicians on an album, but a single first. I am very excited to get started.”

That single will be a brand new original song written by Todi, ‘Another Love’, set to be released during the summer.

With musical influences ranging from Michael Buble to Glen Miller, what can we expect from Todi’s first musical offering? “Fun,” was the answer given.

Work on the single begins shortly, with both the recording and production of a music video set to take place in Glasgow in the next few weeks.

The songstress is now hoping that it is her summer hit that people will be singing along to in the sunny months ahead.

“There is going to be a lot of work to do in the near future,” she said. “Right now the studio work is taking priority over everything else, but I just want to get going and make sure that the release is how we want it.

“I have been speaking to musicians and explaining to them and the producers what I want from them, and how I would like my sound to come across, so we will see how it ends up.”

Despite living on the outskirts of Barrhead, Todi admits that she has never played a venue in the town, instead touring across Scotland, as well as parts of northern England.

However, playing her hometown is an experience that she could not turn down.

She said: “It’s strange that I’ve never played anywhere here but I suppose I’ve never really had the opportunity. The closest I’ve come is visiting Pulse FM.

“But the people in the town have always been very supportive of me, and I think they are proud of anyone who is trying to do the best for themselves.

“I’ve been here since I was three years old and it would be great to get the chance to play in Barrhead.”