A TEENAGE singer and songwriter from Brecon has released her debut single, which has been a year in the making.

Sophie Lousie, 17, released the song ‘Fly High’ after travelling every other month to work on the track with a team of producers at River Studios in Southampton.

Sophie, who is from the Uplands, said: “My single is about my journey through music, and growing as a solo independent artist since.”

After first performing when she was 15 in the Voice of Wales competition in Cardiff, Sophie participated in Open Mic UK 2016 when she was 16 where she battled her way to the finals in Birmingham.

Following the competition, Sophie was signed up by the song scout and promoter Chris Grayston – a judge at Open Mic UK 2016 – who has helped her to produce the single and her upcoming EP.

Sophie, who also works as an outdoor supervisor, said: “I love writing and that’s where I found my love for songwriting as a solo singer. My first performance was the Voice of Wales when I was about to turn 16 in Cardiff.”

The team working with Sophie included the production company BCB Media, director of photography Bradley Bowers and producers Alex Mobaraki, Harry Patterson and Mateo Donoghue.

Sophie is mainly a vocalist, however she is also a self-taught guitarist and pianist.

The rising star said she is a “huge fan” of Amy Winehouse and Beyonce. However she has tried to be herself and develop her own musical style.

The single comes with a dedicated music video which was released on YouTube on Friday, March 16.

Sophie’s track is available to download on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Deezer, Amazon and other online platforms. In the description with her music video on YouTube, Sophie said: “When I first sang I told everyone this is just the beginning and now my debut single has been released. I can’t tell you all how incredibly tough but amazing this journey has been.

“This is just one of my routes. Many more to come. Look forward to my EP next and then album!”

Sophie is still working on her official website but can be followed on Instagram, Twitter and her Facebook page, where the single has already had almost 3,000 likes