Wolverhampton unsigned artist Elizabeth Fields gives 100,000 Welcomes

And Wolverhampton singer/songwriter Elizabeth Fields is clearly someone who believes in this mantra. She this year released her debut record - 100,000 Welcomes - and it is the culmination of a decade of work.

"I've funded it all myself, which isn't exactly easy on a part-time wage," she tells us. "I ran out of money halfway through so I needed to build some more up and hire people as and when they were needed. I was pleased to meet John Stewart who mixed it in Coventry. He put the extra hours in with me to get it done and get it done right."

And the hard work has been worth it as Elizabeth, who teachers guitar and vocals as her day job, is now starting to see the plaudits come in.

"It was album of the month in [local music magazine] Ryan's Gig Guide when released and has also been getting some play on Black Country Radio.

"There's been some great feedback and I'm getting a few more bookings. The album has a real summer vibe which is obviously great at the moment. The majority of the response has been positive, and one comment I really loved was that it was 'fun music'."

So would she do it the same again?

"I could have maybe done a 'less is more' approach to the music. Some of it actually sounds quite busy and if I was to do it again I'd probably take a more stripped back approach to the sound."

Elizabeth has an idyllic-sounding process for writing her material. While many major artists talk about having a muse, maybe not so many would tell you that theirs has four legs, a tail and likes to chase squirrels.