Joan Armatrading: Inspiration doesn't really work like that

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.

Joan Armatrading

journey sound together

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

Joan Armatrading

mother writing song

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.

Joan Armatrading

records writing order

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

Joan Armatrading

written way

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.

Joan Armatrading

discipline real challenges

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

Joan Armatrading

musician influence people

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

Joan Armatrading

writing-music born writing

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

Joan Armatrading

baroque-music romantic-love romantic

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.

Joan Armatrading

eight nice years

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.

Joan Armatrading

able fun people

Yesterday I was playing Beethovens fifth, because I love that.

Joan Armatrading

fifth yesterday

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

Joan Armatrading

watches america thinking

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.

Joan Armatrading

dvds guitar together

Whichever age you are, that's the best age. I'm a very "now" person.

Joan Armatrading

persons age

You find what you are best at and stick to it. 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.

Joan Armatrading

trying people years

When I was younger I was obsessed with writing, so even if I wanted to listen, I didnt have time.

Joan Armatrading

obsessed obsession writing

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.

Joan Armatrading

achievement ordinary people

I am not in love / But I'm open to persuasion.

Joan Armatrading

persuasion

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.

Joan Armatrading

argument important want

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.

Joan Armatrading

inspiration writing people

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.