Might on her side

It's rave reviews all round for Gemma Hayes whose Night On My Side album is shaping up to be a major summer hit.

"Young, beautiful, Irish Gemma Hayes could be tailor-made to spearhead another new wave of grassroots, singer-songwriter folk rock" reckons Observer scribe Sean O'Hagan.

The praise is equally fulsome in OK magazine's Hot Stars supplement: "More than just a pretty face, she's actually a very good singer-songwriter. A perfectly balanced blend of acoustic and electric songs, which means you won't find yourself nodding off midway through."

Trade bible Music Week also gives the album its seal of approval: "The songs – largely reflective and hushed, but with the constant threat of guitar violence – are what make the set."

Meanwhile, Ms. Hayes says her Hot Press 'Best Female Singer' Award has convinced her parents that she doesn't need a 9 to 5.

"Those things are great for your family because even when I got a publishing deal my mum was sending me secretarial job application forms 'just in case it all goes wrong!'" she reveals.