Joan Armatrading

Just an hour with you, and I understand why we had to meet.

So I’ve had lots of different bands over the years who have stayed with me for certain tours.

That is one of the things about going on tour, that I get to work with some really talented people and it allows me to be able to listen to them as well – and just have fun on stage.

I am constantly being told that I have been a big influence for many people, including other musicians.

Right from day one, you know when you’ve written a good song.

When you’re on tour you definitely don’t want lots of arguments. It’s very important that everybody gets on because you’re in close proximity a great deal of the time.

I’ve always written in a free, unencumbered way.

When I was younger I was obsessed with writing, so even if I wanted to listen, I didn’t have time.

In America, you watch TV and think that’s totally unreal, then you step outside and it’s just the same.

I found my sound early on. Look at U2: they haven’t changed their music for 20 years. Anyway, many people come unstuck when they try to change what they do and what they are known for.

Inspiration doesn’t really work like that – you’re not looking out for it. Inspiration is something that tends to capture you rather than you capture it.

So if you’re on tour for eight months, a year… or whatever it is you definitely don’t want arguments and I’m happy to say that I’ve always had a really nice bunch of people around me all the time.

I love to go on tour and perform. I love all the parts of the process.

So, the combination of looking at lots of different people and how they react to each other and how they relate to each other and waiting for that inspiration is the thing that allows me to keep writing.

This band – because this is myself on electric and acoustic guitars – we’ve done three tours together now and I really, really like it which is why I did the DVD as well.

Classical, Romantic, and Baroque music, that’s what I really like.

I’ve written what and when I want to. It’s been about expressing myself. But with the degree, I had to learn to do everything in a very specific, disciplined way. I am very disciplined, but this demanded a totally different kind of discipline. A real challenge.

Yes, but the great thing about all the people – and I don’t think there is any exception – who I’ve worked with is they’ve all been very, very talented musicians.

Yesterday I was playing Beethoven’s fifth, because I love that.

Writing music is just something that I was born to do.

You don’t have to be rich and famous. You just have to be an ordinary person, doing extraordinary things. I’d like more people to know that it’s there. Women’s achievements still aren’t recognised enough in many areas.

It’s a very organic process, and it has a specific order to it. I love to write, and once you’ve written, then you arrange. After the arrangement, you record it, and then you tour it.

All your travelling is together, you eat together, you’re on stage as a band together, when you get to the sound-check the band and the crew are all together.

One of them would definitely be the Nelson Mandela gig, when I played the tribute song for him. He was up and dancing, and he really enjoyed it. It was a really lovely occasion.

My mother bought a piano, put it in the front room, and I just started writing my songs.