Interview: Katie Melua

"I guess it's an occupational hazard when you have long hair hanging down over your face but I'm seriously thinking about shaving it all off like Sinead O'Connor."

A hectic schedule means Katie has not had time to see any of the acts who have already performed at The O2, even though she's a huge fan of Queen, who played there on Monday night.

She said: "I really like the idea of playing it, though I still haven't been to a gig there. But in a way I'm glad about that, if I'd seen someone I really admire on that same floating space I think I might be bit overawed by using the same stage."

With album sales of around nine million Katie is Britain's best-selling female artist, renowned for thoughtful acoustic numbers like breakthrough hit "The Closest Thing to Crazy".

But she's backed by a band for her live shows, giving her a rockier edge.

She said: "The live gigs are more energetic than the albums. I like to have fun on stage and I'd go crazy just doing ballads for two hours. Also it's great to have a band and I want to use them to the best of their ability."

The tour coincides with the release of "The Katie Melua Collection", a retrospective of the first five years of her career. But don't people think she's a bit young to be bringing out a "best of" already?

She said: "No, not really, people are more surprised to find out I've already made three albums.

"I think it's natural to have a retrospective at this point plus there's a lot of other stuff on there like a dvd, behind the scenes things, plus three new songs which we only recorded a month ago."

The tour ends on November 11 and, assuming she comes through unscathed, Katie plans to take some time off, although she admitted she's not good at staying still for too long.

She said: "Usually after five weeks on the road I'm desperate to go home but then after a few weeks there I'm desperate to be touring again.

"This year has been non-stop touring, so I'm looking forward to spending some time at home and letting life revolve around me."

Fans might have to wait a while for her next release, although Katie insisted she has no plans to give up the business just yet. And she is still thinking about the direction to take her music.

She said: "I won't be rushing into another album. The songwriting is going fine, though I don't put too much pressure on it, I just see where it goes.

"I'm not going to commit to a direction until the next album comes out. But I'm still enjoying it and I don't see a time when I'll stop."

Whether that means moving away from the formula that has brought her such huge success remains to be seen. And Katie admitted she does not know the secret behind her popularity.

"I don't have an answer for that," she said.

"You can have all the elements to be successful but it doesn't always happen. I guess I've been lucky in some ways."

After five years at the top of the business Katie feels the music industry has changed for the better.

She said: "It's interesting to see how the music industry has evolved. It feels like a different business now to when I started.

"Back then the norm was for people to mime rather than sing live for tv performances. There was a lot of pop, r'n'b and hip-hop and that was just the way it was done.

"But it's a lot healthier now. It's more musician based, rather than image based, and indie bands are selling more than pop groups, which can only be a good thing.

"There are also a lot more females playing guitar on music shows compared to when I first started. It does make it harder to stand out but I'm glad I've helped contribute in a small way to that."

Katie Melua plays The O2 on November 8. "The Katie Melua Collection" is released on the Dramatico label on October 27.

See www.katiemelua.com for details.