I am really a very shy person. If I appear, it is because of the music, not because I want to be seen.

I told the record company I didn't feel the need to be at red-carpet events. I wanted a career. But I wanted to keep myself intact as a person.

When I was growing up, I'd be in the choir. My mum was the organist in the church, so I'd sing in the church.

My mouth is a womb. My teeth are my children. My tongue is their babysitter.

We called the album 'Amarantine' to mean everlasting. Poets use the word to describe an everlasting flower and I loved the image of that.

I do a so-called trip into myself: I sit down at the piano and the melody might start to evolve from my playing or then I might start to sing it.

I enjoyed the two years I was with Clannad. I enjoyed touring. We toured a lot in Europe.