Eighties pop star Lisa Stansfield reflects on her career

Why have you decided to do this tour? What about Affection has made you want to come back and do it again?

I think it feels right at the time we are in now because that sort of music has come full circle, R’n’B and soul music has come around again and this album just makes complete sense in the current climate we’re in.

We thought about doing it after 25 years and it just felt really relevant because of the way music is now.

What are you memories of recording it? What stands out for you?

It was one of those things that was a magical sort of thing, because every time we did anything, there was such a spirit to it. It was a very hungry album and we weren’t hungry for money, we really wanted this album to be a success and we wanted this album to be out there.

So what stands out for me is the spirit, drive and hunger that’s in the album, it’s unbelievable.

What did you hope it would achieve?

Like any artist you hope to reach other people through your music, and this is fundamentally what I want to do more than anything. I don’t want to look pretty and I don’t want all the fame, that’s just a by-product of it.

I always wanted to be successful because of my music and it was ultimately a dream come true and then more on top of that. Because we just didn’t realise how much of an effect this album would have on the whole world.

Once it was finished did you know that this was a great album?

Yes. We sat back and listened to it as a whole piece of art and a whole piece of music and we just said “this is f****** amazing; this is f****** great”.

To sit in a room and listen to what you’ve produced, made and what has come out of your own head, for it to sound the way you want it and more, it’s what every musician really wants, and that moment is the most beautiful moment. That’s your special moment because the most frightening part after that (laughs) is to play it to everyone else.

That’s one of the most special moments for me, just sitting in a room, listening to your work and thinking I’ve done my job and I would go out and buy that record.

When you listen to it now how do you feel about it? Do you still get that buzz and excitement?

Yes. Because we don’t really listen to our own music. The Deeper album, I’m not currently listening to it now because it’s out there for everyone else.

So to revisit an album is really nice because it triggers a lot of memories and feelings.

It’s quite lovely really to have left it for a while before listening to it, because it was like listening to the greatest hits when we listened to [1989 debut album] Affection again really.

Does Deeper add a new context to the record? You wrote all of the songs on both tracks with your partner Ian and Deeper is a love letter to him really.

Well we would have recorded maybe little bits of some of the Affection album, because we were together through all of it. But now it’s Deeper and the music has become like that too.

So if you listen to the content of the songs they’re different in a way. It’s the love thing – it’s different. It’s a different kind of love and it’s more profound and I suppose songs get like that as you get older because you experience more.

Do you look back on the songs on Affection and do they mean something different to you from when you first recorded them?

Yes but they also make you look at your life again differently, because you can see your life through the eyes that you had when you wrote those songs initially. So you can remember your outlook on life when you wrote those songs, you think “oh I don’t think like that any more or I’m still like that”. You sort of look at your life through your songs.

How will you be choosing which songs from Affection?

I have no idea. Because everyone has a favourite I think it’s going to have to be a general consensus from whoever is there at the time.

We’re not going to play the whole album from start to finish because there are songs from other albums which people might think were on Affection, but weren’t.

We’re going to do a big chunk of it and it’ll be exciting doing it again. I’m looking forward to rehearsals.

In the 30 years since the release of Affection what’s been your proudest moment.

I think really at the moment is my proudest moment because I’ve sorted and taken stock on a lot of things I’ve done throughout my career. This pinpointing, making note of the 30 years you reflect and I’m very proud that I’ve done all the things I have, and I’m very very happy.

Is there anything you would have done differently? Any regrets?

Not really – I don’t think so. I think everything has followed its course and I feel very privileged to have done all those things and I don’t want to have wished it any different. It was special just the way it was.

Is there still something you’re hungry to achieve now?

I’d like to do more touring. I’ve got to like touring much more than I used to do. I really like it now because I don’t think that I worry quite so much about everything, so I take it easier on tour and don’t let things get to me like the travel.

So more touring and I’d like to do more acting as well.

It’s just exploring parts of yourself and other peoples lovely writing and work – to be able to say someone else’s words and make them real is lovely.

What’s next for you? Deeper had such a good reception.

Yes it did. We’re just going to try and give everyone a bit more of the same really. And keep throwing things at the wall and seeing if anything sticks. It’s great.

How did the reaction from Deeper make you feel?

Oh god we’re just really happy. We got back from the US a few weeks ago where we hadn’t played for 30 years and the reaction was just unbelievable, so we’ve got fire in our bellies. It’s lovely.

Does it help touring with Ian now?

Yes because we have our routine. We’ll always travel together and when we’re touring Europe we get trains everywhere. What we do is get up in the morning, have our breakfast and get the train and it’s lovely, it’s really nice just travelling around everywhere through Europe. We do it in England as well because it’s really nice instead of just getting cars or tour buses everywhere, we get trains so we get to see all the lovely scenery.

What’s currently inspiring you at the moment? Anyone or thing in particular?

Just the whole mood of our current political situation. It’s really reminiscent of the late Eighties early Nineties. We’re in a bit of a shambles really and it was weird because British soul music carried all that and there’s a resurgence in soul music. It is all about what you do feel, and people connect with that.

It’s a feeling. It doesn’t happen in the brain it happens in the heart and I think people need that. That’s why people turn to R’n’B and soul music because they don’t need to say anything they just need to feel.

Lisa Stansfield plays the Brighton Dome, Brighton, on Wednesday, October 23.

For tickets and more information visit www.brightondome.org