POISED on the brink of stardom, it could have been so different for Natasha North, after the south Bucks singer-songwriter almost embarked on a transatlantic pro-football career.

An unusual route to the stage saw the 22-year-old rising star faced with a dilemma over her twin passions for music and football, with a career in the beautiful game the eventual loser.

Raised in Seer Green, Natasha has had a whirlwind year, playing Reading and Leeds festivals and Isle of Wight festival in June and recording her second EP Fire, which was released on Sunday.

She worked on the record with a production team behind the likes of Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Ray and Katie Melua.

And with a growing fanbase following a sold out show alongside Suzanne Vega at London’s Barbican, the former Wycombe Wanderers Ladies player is adamant she made the right career choice.

She said: "It’s been the craziest nine months in the world, I did Isle of Wight in June, that was the first big festival I did. There was such an incredible line-up, it was unbelievable. "Reading and Leeds was something else, I remember when I was 16 dreaming of playing there. The experience was surreal, I almost still don’t believe I’ve done it.

"The reaction has been brilliant, at Reading especially there was an awesome crowd, the cool thing was people were coming to the stage especially to see me.

"As an artist seeing people there who you don’t know and who love your music is very special and rewarding.

"I have done music for years, and started playing the violin when I was small. I was going to move to America to be a footballer, I wanted to be a pro soccer player over there. Eventually it was a case of deciding between the two.

"I went out to America and decided I didn’t want to do it. I came home and just thought why I am I not doing more music?"

Natasha’s new single The End has received rave reviews and airplay on Radio 1, with the video notched up over 50,000 views on YouTube.

And moving on from her roots as a classic singer songwriter, the former Dr Challoner’s High School pupil has developed a fuller, more electronic sound to boost her soaring acoustic melodies as she prepares for the release.

She said: "If someone saw me play solo I’d say I would be classic singer songwriter, but with the production we worked to find the sound and electronic stuff like synths, it’s a hybrid sound really.

"I did it by myself for a long time, but with playing headline shows people are paying to hear you, I wanted a big sound, personally I love to see huge epic sound, it’s more exciting, more for people to share in, plus it’s quite lonely up there by yourself.

"The cool bit about releasing the EP is speaking to loads of people about something you’ve worked so hard and long on.

"It’s nerve racking, because it becomes your baby after a while, but hopefully people will like it and the reaction will be positive.

"A live track was played from Reading on the radio. Then I had a Tweet saying I was on Radio 1, I turned on and there I was. My dream is to be driving and the song to come on, so hopefully that will happen."

Natasha's EP Fire was released on September 21, available on iTunes.