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The 17 year old from Sutton Coldfield treated fans to four live songs hours after attending an interview at Gloucester University for a music course.

"I think it went well but it's been a busy day," he laughed. "I came straight to BBC WM from there. We'll see what happens."

Raina ("a take on a nickname that sort of stuck") is one of the rising stars on the singer-songwriter circuit, having been one of the local acts playing at the 2008 Stourbridge Christmas lights switch on.

Playing live on BBC WM Introducing

But he wasn't always a solo artist.

"I was in bands that weren't very good to be honest," he said. "That ended and I just kind of picked up an acoustic guitar and started writing. It was kind of a hobby at first. Then it built up and I started getting gigs and here I am now.

"I've been writing for about two years and I've built up seven or eight songs now. I'm planning to record with a backing band - guitars, pianos - in April 2009."

Raina played four tracks on BBC WM Introducing, each of which had a different influence:

Raina at the Stourbridge light switch on

"'Finding You' I wrote about a year and a half ago. I like it because it is a typical singer-songwriter song about love but not the depressing side.

"'Frowns' is about friends and what they mean to you. My friends and family are so supportive. They shell out money to come and see me all over the place so I thought I'd write a song for them to show my appreciation.

"'Running from the World' is not quite as cheerful as the others. The subject is more the world today - climate change and all this bad stuff that's going on."

Click the link at the top of this page to listen again to Raina playing live on BBC WM Introducing, click the link at the top of this page.

To find out more about Raina, visit:

Thursdays 10pm - midnight on 95.6FM

BBC WM Introducing is the show dedicated to the West Midlands' best new talent and airs live every Thursday night from 10pm on BBC WM 95.6FM.

To find out more, click the link below: