AN inspiring singer and song writer who suffers with severe depression has this year produced a debut album and qualified for the regional heats of a UK-wide talent competition.

Nikki Jane Snell's singing career has gone from success to success, with her self-produced album available to download on ITunes and now a chance to compete for a lucrative record deal.

The unsigned act, who lives in Ellis House, St Albans, wowed judges at the regional heats of the Open Mic auditions 2010 by performing some of her favourite tracks from the new album, Wanted, recorded earlier this year under her own record label Hardbeatrecords.

Nikki said: "I haven't done a lot of auditions before and despite having an album out I was worried about going back to the beginning, but I feel like it's an opportunity."

Diagnosed with bipolar disorder last year, Nikki said the condition has inspired most of the songs on the album. The 26-year-old, who cites Fleetwood Mac's frontwoman Stevie Nicks, Kelly Clarkson and Rascal Flatts as her influences, said: "The theme of the album is looking to find the real me. If you suffer with depression or ups and downs, sometimes you don't know who you are or what's normal anymore. "I don't often talk about my feelings, but if I write something down I feel like it's out."

Open Mic travels across the country every year searching for the UK's undiscovered talent.

If she is selected for the grand finals in the live regional heat in Bedford next month, Nikki will perform at the 02 Arena, with the chance to win a record contract.

The competition is split into categories for under 18s, 18-25s and 25 and over, with £50,000 worth of prizes up for grabs. The winners will have a chance to record an album in a professional studio, as well as £30,000 investment for a single release.