A LOCAL singer songwriter has launched a funding campaign for his latest album

John Lewis hopes enough people will back his Pledge music campaign so he can release his new solo acoustic album 'His Other Side'.

John, who has been touring for more than 30 years, said: " All people have to do is go to the pledge music website and pledge to buy the album or any other items on offer in advance of the release. The campaign is currently up to 56 per cent of the target. If it doesn’t reach the 100 per cent everyone gets their money back and the album will go on the shelf till next year. With only a few days of the campaign left to run it’s going to be very close."

In January John released a single off the album “Waltz around the Kitchen” featuring Imelda May singing harmonies, which has received a great response and national airplay on BBC.

John, who has already released 15 albums, said: “Being an independent artist or indie musician it’s hard to promote an album after all your budget is tied up in the production cost. So the aim of the campaign is to promote the new album and take my music to an even wider audience. "People have been very generous so far but I still have a long way to go with not much time left. Fingers crossed.”

To promote the campaign John will be playing on Saturday, March 7, at the Windsor Arms in Penarth accompanied by Tony Thompson on harmonica and supported by Nick Treharne.

He will be playing new tunes from his hopefully forthcoming album and a blues set with Tony Thompson.

The set went down so well at the Room at the Top Acoustic Club on Station Approach that people have been asking for a repeat performance by the duo.

He will be touring all over Europe again this year with a four week tour, hitting the festivals throughout the summer, returning to Japan for a major festival and talks for another Australian tour are well under way.

To support the Pledge music campaign go to: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/10897