SHERSTON singing sensation Mercia Clayton has caused a storm on the Internet.

The 29-year-old's first single, You Said, is in the top ten of downloaded songs on major music websites such as HMV, Dot Music, MSN and Tiscali.

The song has also been played on Radio 2.

She got her break while working as project manager at Bristol music distribution company OD2, founded by ex-Genesis singer Peter Gabriel.

It needed songs to test new software it was developing to distribute music over the net.

Up stepped Mercia and her band of two guitarists, a bassist and drummer, who put forward one of their songs.

Mercia said she had not given up the day job but hoped the single would be a success.

She said: "The response to the song has been great. It is very difficult to get a contract but we have self-financed the CD and we hope it will be a success."

The band's album, Average Boy, is due out on July 28.

Mercia's influences include Blondie and she also plays with well-known Sherston Band the Soul Destroyers.