A really happy kid. I would go off on my own a lot and live in my imagination. When I got my school report back it always said, 'Lisa should try a little harder because she always seems to be in a different world from everyone else.'

My bed is my weird little haven. It's like a deflated tent.

I like to keep everyone happy. I feel like it's my responsibility to do that.

I'd like to have more tolerance.

We never want to toe the line.

Deeper' feels like we did when we made the first few albums. It's got that excitement. It felt like a voyage of discovery.

The first writers I knew about were Motown's Holland-Dozier-Holland.

It's quite amazing how obsessed everyone is by 'Strictly Come Dancing.' I don't watch it so I don't know anything about it.

I really don't have an interest in it and people think I'm a freak because I'm not obsessed by 'Strictly Come Dancing' but it just doesn't appeal to me. I'm really sorry but I can't get into it. You get treated like a complete pariah if you don't like things like that!

I don't watch 'The X Factor,' I don't watch 'The Voice,' so I wouldn't want to do them.

I don't want to do something just to be on TV. If I did I might as well just go on and put a meat pie on my head! If I go on TV I want to be doing something I want to do.

People say to me about my music 'it got me through college, it saved my marriage, it helped me to come out.' It's wonderful to be part of someone's life in a big way.'

I feel so comfortable and at home in the studio.

You can't have artistic freedom if you have to think about seven different aspects of your own job all the time. It must be very, very exhausting.

I do admire a lot of artists now who are completely multi-faceted - they're doing seven different jobs all at once and it doesn't seem to faze them whatsoever. It just astonishes me completely and I have nothing but admiration for them.

You have to say no to a lot of people and when a lot of people are telling you what you're doing is a bit rubbish you just have to have the courage to say 'no it isn't' and believe in it.

You can make a whole album on your telephone, you can make an amazing video too!

It's always been the same from a long time ago, it's people with promises and people dangling carrots and when you're young and impressionable, and ambitious, you want to believe them. I was always lucky because there was always part of me that didn't believe these people.

That was one thing about my life and everything I've done really, it's like I've been on a diving board scared out of my life and someone just keeps pushing me!

It's like, if someone asks me to do something and it seems like a really exciting project, but I maybe really frightened about it, nine times out of then I'll say yes imminently because then I can worry after I've said yes!

I was probably about four when I really wanted to start singing.

My mum used to listen to Motown. Diana Ross was my first singing teacher, really. I'd just sing along all the time.

I didn't want to be famous, I just wanted to sing.

To me to singing is like a freedom. It's a very therapeutic thing. It's incredible. I can just lose myself. It's sort of like meditation.

I've always been very emotional when I sing.

I knew I'd made it when I was sitting on the bus into Rochdale and there was an old man listening to one of my songs. It was fantastic.

Falling in love is an absolutely beautiful thing to go through, and why people shouldn't talk about it is beyond me.

I used to hate touring, I used to absolutely hate it! I think one of the reasons why was because in between songs I found it difficult to talk to the audience, and now I don't care, I say what I want!

There are lots of artists I respect and admire.

Whenever I've collaborated with anyone in the past it's just happened really, I've never actively sought it out.

I'm not the sort of person who if everyone thinks you're fabulous you thrive on it.

Fame made me insecure and insular. I wanted to run away from being me.

I've always been political but I don't like to bring it into my work any more because I think it limits me.

Let's face it, I have a fun job at the end of the day.

Probably because the first two albums were so successful, we got a little bit smug.

In terms of the production, the style I use is what I see as the 'Lisa Stansfield sound' and I would hope that when anyone puts on one of my songs they don't even have to listen to my voice to know this is a Lisa Stansfield song, because of the way it sounds.

I know I idolise someone like Billie Holiday, but I don't look at her and think I have to imitate her lifestyle, to try and sing like she did.

I absolutely loved it in Ireland.

I gave up everything and nearly became a farmer, walking around in headscarf and wellies for 10 years to find my confidence again.

I'm a singer. I'm a musician. I'm a writer. Maybe - I don't know - I couldn't give a child what it needed.

I started to sing professionally when I was about 13 or 14.

In Europe, I do see a lot of women who were fans years ago bring their daughters and sons to shows and that's how my music gets passed down, and I love that.

People thought I disappeared, but I never went away. Music has always been a priority.

Singers like Gladys Knight are mostly responsible for how I learned to sing.

I think I popped out of the womb singing Diana Ross.

I always remember when I first started out and first became a little bit famous, I went to a celebrity party. For me it was really intimidating.

Well, I always leave massive gaps between albums.

One of the only things I've regretted was saying yes to a TV special, 'Motown Mania,' and I said I'll sing you a Diana Ross song. It was just naff.

Honestly, I think if you don't have happiness and you don't have love in your life you can have all the money and all the symbols in the world and it won't make any difference.

You never know what to expect in life, so just roll with the punches and make the most of it. Because you've only got one life and you may as well have a really lovely time. And try not to hurt anybody on the way.