Alistair Mackie, 27, who performs under the name Aly Mac, has been singing and playing the guitar since his early teens, when he was a bit of a troublemaker.

Being a loudmouth, someone suggested he should try singing and it was not long before he began performing in a number of bands.

He played in Delfini, Restless and Spex, all based around Bury St Edmunds, but has recently decided to go solo.

In order to kick-start his dream, he has entered a national competition – Orange Unsigned Acts – which will be televised on Channel Four with the top prize of a recording act.

Aly Mac, from Bury, said: "It's a lot easier to go down the road of a solo artist. I have gone down a new avenue which is more me.

"I'm not thinking I'm going to get anywhere in the competition, but it's helped me to start this character."

The voting closed on Sunday and the 25 acts with the most votes are guaranteed an audition in the competition, which will be judged by Jo Whiley, Alex James and Simon Gavin.

Aly has already produced two tracks, which he said were 80 per cent polished – Open Hearted and Last Summer – but aims to complete a total of five tracks to place on a demo CD in order to get his voice heard in the industry.

As he hopes his main stage will be on the internet, he is currently working on his MySpace site and new website www.alymac.net, which he hopes to launch in the not too distant future.

On top of this, Aly has also been recently featured on BBC Radio Suffolk and KL.FM in King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Aly, who performs a mix of acoustic, fold and country, said: "My voice probably stands out a little bit more than the average as, without trying to sound cocky, I have got a good voice and it's a little bit above average."

To find out more, visit www.myspace.com/alyvoxmac or orangeunsignedact.co.uk/acts/aly-mac