BORN and bred in Poole, 21- year old singer Moya is making serious waves in the music industry. Her debut album, Lost and Found, is released next month and has been receiving serious airplay on BBC 6 Music.

Moya grew up on her mother’s music collection, a combination of Motown, soul, jazz and disco.

“All the big Motown and soul artists have played a big part in moulding me into the singer I am today,” says Moya. Her first foray into music was with her sisters, in a band they called Trance before joining a Saturday stage school at the age of 6, where she had her first taste of performing. As a teenager, Moya continued to write music and perform at open mic nights, before finally deciding to move to Brighton last year, to pursue her career full time.

“The songs are quite diverse but somehow all fit together,” added Moya, who co-wrote all of the album’s 12 tracks.

“There’s some summer pop and soul, a few ballads and a few surprises. Definitely a song for everyone.”

New album Lost & Found was finished earlier this year, and recorded at London’s Alaska Studios, where Moya happened to strike up an unlikely friendship with rapper Wiley.

“A few weeks after we met, he tweeted one of my videos and I started getting loads of hits on YouTube,” says Moya.

“He told me he’d be interested in recording something together too, which would be amazing.” Moya has also just finished a track with up and coming UK MC Seanie T, out later this year.

“It’s good to get out of my comfort zone and music is supposed to push you in different directions.”

Alongside recording, Moya will be heading out on tour soon with hopefully some local dates.