IN A sense, Sarah Blasko’s gig in Brighton will be a hometown show.

While the singer-songwriter was born and raised in Australia, she lived in Kemp Town for a spell a few years back and holds the city close to her heart.

“I loved it there in my cute little house by the sea,” she says. “I spent way too much time at the pub, but there are just so many good ones there.”

The 41-year-old released her sixth album Depth Of Field on February 23.

During the process of its creation, Sarah performed a two-week residency at Campbelltown Arts Centre in Sydney in order to sculpt her fledgling tunes.

Her stint at the venue included holding workshops for young female songwriters.

“I wanted the drama and excitement of a live performance to inspire the songs,” she says. As for the final album, Sarah says it is “mostly about the real people behind the veneer, the drama inherent in everyday life”.

Sarah hopes that her next album will also come from an artist residency. “I’d love to do another one but hopefully this time in a very remote location.”

For her next album, she adds, she would love to release a very stripped-back and possibly acoustic record.

The musician, who plays the piano, organ, vibraphone and guitar, previously fronted the band Acquiesce from the mid-1990s to 2001. Although she has been touring since then, mostly as a solo singer, the anxiety is still there before a concert.

“Sometimes I get nervous,” she laughs.

She adds that she sometimes seeks medical help for her jitters.

“I’ve had nerves in my hands and had to take beta blockers before.”

Sarah speaks highly of the UK and the music scene here. She adds: “So much great music comes out of the UK and the volume of shows and bands is much greater than in Australia, so it’s great to feel like just a speck.”

She enjoys getting out of her Australian bubble and experiencing British culture.

“I’m a fan of a Sunday roast and a full English breakfast when it’s called for.”

She also is amused by the variations of wine sizes available in pubs and restaurants.

“You can order a small, medium and large wine.

“That made me laugh when I first went there.”

The singer is still loved in her home country, though. She won three ARIA Awards and her latest album peaked at number 5 in the Australian charts. She is thankful for her fans and how they inspire her to create music.

“It’s amazing to feel like there are people who ‘get’ what I’m doing, and the music resonates with them,” she says.

The Unitarian Church show is one of only two Sarah is performing in the UK – the other is in London. When talking about the concert, she explains that it’s not necessarily going to be what her fans might expect.

“This will be a solo tour so it’s very unfiltered, raw and close up. But there are also unexpected elements to the show.”

With a back catalogue from a 20 year-career, the audience is guaranteed of major variations within the instrumentation and vocals. When it comes to her love for music, she hails her dad as the reason behind her desire to become a songwriter in the first place. “I would sit and study my dad’s records for hours and sing them in my bedroom,” she says. “I guess it was a kind of release and escape from everyday life and a way to sort through thoughts and ideas.”

Sarah Blasko

Brighton Unitarian Church,

Thursday, May 3, 8pm. For tickets and more information visit seetickets.com