It's been a while since we heard from you, what have you been up to?
Well, I'd been working my socks off for ages and after finishing the final leg of the Northern Star Tour - of which there were about a million! - I was so knackered. I was feeling really proud but also a bit sorry for myself so I booked myself into the cheapest and most effective rehab: my mum's house! I had a very relaxing time doing not very much but after a few weeks I started getting a bit twitchy and decided it was about time to start album number two.

Can we talk about the new album?
It's really early days at the moment. I'm just going back into the studio and really enjoying being creative and trying different styles of music. There's nothing much to report back yet. I'm just in a really nice phase where I'm out of the limelight and concentrating on the music.

How does that feel, to be slightly less out of the limelight than you have been?
Great, it's really nice not to be in the public eye so much. In some respect that sometimes makes the media more intrigued, not that I've seen anything but I've heard there have been bits and pieces, photos of me putting petrol in my car and all that, it's all a bit silly. It's quite nice just to be living normally, staying at home and having a routine.

How does it compare, being in the studio this time round?
It's always different, everyday is different, it was quite a long time ago that I wrote the first album so I can hardly remember how I felt. It's just nice to be back in the studio and it's been a long time coming. I need to have some new material, the fans have been really wicked and deserve to hear some new stuff.

What about direction wise, have you got any ideas on which direction you might like to take it?
Not really. It's not going to be a huge departure from the first album but I still want to be quite diverse and I want to be quite daring and I'm going to experiment with different things. I don't want to be bland in anyway, I want to keep the record exciting.

Will it be as 'song-lead' as Northern Star?
Yes, for me the important thing is to have a good song, if you write a good song then it can go anywhere production wise. The song 'I Turn to You' was originally a ballad, so you see you can go anywhere, anything can happen. It's the quality of the song that's important.

Are you going to consider doing a collaboration with anyone? Another Bryan Adams or anything like that?
I'd definitely like to collaborate with other artists but I don't have any plans at the moment. Last time with Lisa Left Eye Lopes, that was just fate, it just all happened, it wasn't something that was planned, I was just really lucky how it all came together. Sometimes when you're in studios you bump into people, you never know who you're going to meet so you never know who you're going to end up working with.

Are you going to be working with the same producers as on Northern Star?
I've been catching up with a lot of the guys I wrote with on Northern Star as well as meeting some new and exciting collaborators. This album is gonna rock. It's been ages since I did some new tunes and my fans deserve nothing but the best. I can't wait to get the album out but there's now way I'm going to rush it. Ideally I'd like to release in Autumn 2002 but I'll keep you posted and let you know how it's going.

So what are you actually working on at the moment?
I've just finished re-recording Independence Day. I wrote it with Elliott Kennedy (who we wrote Say You'll Be There with) ages ago, we've played it live at most of the gigs but it's never been released. I was asked to do a song for a great new British movie called Bend It Like Beckham. It's a comedy about an Asian girl footballer written by Gurinder Chadha who also wrote 'Bhaji On The Beach'. If you've seen that you'll know it's gonna be a corker. My old mate Shaznay's in it too - you'll have to check it out!

Why did you decide to use Independence Day?
Independence Day was a really appropriate song and Gurinder loved it so we decided to give it a new vibe, some new lyrics and new producers. It sounds great, I'm really pleased with it. You'll probably hear it some time next year, I hope you like it.

What has happened to Bohemian Rhapsody you recorded with Russell Watson?
Russell asked me to do a duet on his new album when we were rehearsing for that Music Live event earlier in the year (the one where I looked like a 'nana in that dress!) I was well chuffed, he's a good lad Russell and extremely talented. The only thing was he wanted to do Bohemian Rhapsody which is only one of the best songs ever written - now we both realise it should be illegal to cover! We knew it would be a massive challenge but we gave it a go. Unfortunately it didn't do Mr Mercury's masterpiece justice so it won't be released. Never mind eh?

What is your involvement with 'Trouble'?
'Trouble', the kids TV channel, are dedicating a weekend to homelessness and kids leaving home. They've got these documentaries and shows on about the subject and I've done lots of sound-bytes and links. It's just a really worthwhile thing, there's lots of information about how you stand legally when you leave home and what you're going to be faced with if you choose to leave home. It's really interesting, informative and important.

When's that going to be on?
The 1st and 2nd of December (2001).

Why are homeless charities so important to you?
Homelessness is just something that I feel really strongly about. We're supposed to be a civilised country and there are still people without a home. I think everybody should have a roof over their head. Some people are rattling around in great big massive mansions and others are living in doorways. I don't think the government does enough. It just shouldn't be this way. There are so many disused and derelict buildings and so much money is wasted when quality of life is so important.

Changing tact slightly, what's the most fun you've had recently?
The most fun? I don't know... laughing at Pop Idol! No only joking...

Have you been watching it?
I've not watched it for a while actually. I've seen bits and pieces but I think it's all a bit cruel... What have I done that's been loads of fun? My brother had a big awards dinner at the end of the racing season and that was loads of fun, and getting up and singing with my mums band, that was a laugh.

Where was that at?
At the Touring Cars annual awards dinner.

What are 'Touring cars'?
Touring Cars is the second biggest watched motor sport after Formula One and he's in the Production Class. My brother drives a Peugeot 306, so it's cars that anyone could buy but he races it at Silverstone, Brands Hatch and various tracks in the UK and Ireland. He's doing really well, I'm dead proud!

What have you been listening to?
I've gone heavily hardcore into new metal, I love Linkin Park and Papa Roach. I've just got really into super duper guitar bands and now no one will come in the car with me because it's abusive to the ears. So, if you see me in my car anywhere and you hear a rumbling, that's my music.

Is that going to be coming out in any shape or form?
Maybe...

What about chart music, are you listening to any of that anymore?
Yeah, the charts pretty cool, because its eclectic...

Do you keep up with the charts as you haven't released a new record for a while?
Not really, I'm always listening to CD's, so I never listen to the radio. Oh my god, I'm getting old, I've just realised that I don't know who's at number one. I used to always know what was at number one!

I can't believe you don't know who's at number one!
Is it Blue? You're right though, when you're not part of it, you really don't give a sh*t. Of course I care about Blue because they're on my record label, but otherwise who cares? Does anyone care anymore? When you're part of it, like when it was the Spice Girls V Westlife, I used to care then, but now I don't care anymore.

What have you got coming up then? What are you doing for Christmas?
I'm going to be having a family Christmas, chilling out and watching loads of telly. I love Cold Feet and my favourite show is Asif on E4 - I'm just a big teenager!

Are you planning to go to America?
I'll probably go to America early next year to work with some writers, so that'll be good to go back to LA. It will be very reminiscent of the first album.

You toured for a long time and I just wanted to get a bit of a flavour of what it's like being on tour...
Looking back, I really miss my band because I don't get to see them at the mo. I miss being on stage and I miss singing live and seeing the fans but I don't miss hotel rooms and I don't miss aeroplanes. It's like everything, there's good bits and bad bits, I do miss the shows but I like being at home.

So what was the average Melanie C day like back then?
Quite quiet actually because I was touring, and towards the end there weren't any interviews to do - I'd spoken to everyone and they knew everything. It was just getting up late, training, sound checking, performing at the gig. It was pretty cool.

Looking back on that first album now, does it feel like a long time ago?
It does feel like a long time ago. Making the album was brilliant, but so much has happened since then and I'm really happy to be where I am right now. I was in a record shop the other day getting records, and you always have to look at yours, even though it's been there for ages its nice to look at it. I was looking at mine, and all noticed the other artists have got loads of different records there and I've only got one, so I'm not happy about that. I'm going to have to start knocking these albums out so that I look proper!

Thanks for speaking to us.
That's alright, cheers then, bye.