Hello Amy. Did you have the best January ever?

Probably. Everyone usually hates January, don't they? It has been quite miserable but there have been a few little things that have brightened up my January, I suppose!

Little things like getting a number one album...

Yeah! It was nuts. I feel really privileged to be in the position that I'm in and that the public actually went out and bought my album in their droves again - because it's been out for so long. It went to number two in August and has been constantly floating about the Top 40 since then. It's been going up and down then suddenly, just after Christmas, we noticed it was back in the Top Ten.

Why did people take so long to decide they liked you?

I think one of the great things with me is I was never hyped; there was never all this press saying "this is the next big thing - you need to listen to this" and I think that the public like that. I think they like to feel a sense of ownership over music, I know I do - when I hear new music I don't like being dictated to. And not everyone heard it. I haven't been everywhere - splashed across papers or played on every radio station.
So I think the build has been slow and steady and people have felt they've discovered it on their own.

Did you not want to join the 'next Amy Winehouse' club, with Duffy and Adele?

I feel really sorry for Adele. I mean, obviously she's going to do incredibly and that's brilliant - so she should. But when there's so much hype, there's so much pressure on your shoulders. I think she's about a year or two younger than me, but I don't think I could cope with the pressure that must be on her shoulders right now, because everyone's talking about how she's gonna be the next big thing.

Now you're a number one pop star, is it really possible to avoid the curse of celebrity?

I think it's totally possible. One of the major things is I still live in Glasgow so we tend not to have paparazzi camped outside the little old-man's pub that I frequent. Obviously, as you get a higher profile there'll be more interest but I think it's totally easy to stay out of the glare. I don't really have that interesting a life so the photos would just be boring! Just me taking the bin out...

I find so much happiness in just writing a song and even more happiness in being able to go on stage and perform it in front of a thousand people who'll sing it right back to me. Ultimately that's the most important thing about what I do, and it's what I enjoy most. I think it's great that I'm able to do that and not have to worry about being stalked by photographers.

Thank you, Amy. Long may you booze in peace.



Read and watch hundreds more music interviews in the 4Music archive.