'Singing my own songs live was terrifying'

A Jersey singer-songwriter said she used to be "terrified" of performing live during the early years of her career but now found it a "magical" experience.

Nerina Pallot, 51, has released eight studio albums, with a new album called Fire Escape Symphonies set to be released next month as well as her new single Come Bring the Sun.

The singer, who was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for her song Sophia, said she always wanted to be a musician but used to avoid performing her own songs live.

"I wrote a song called Patience, which was my first single 25 years ago," she said. "I think it was once I'd written a song I felt I was good enough, then I had the confidence to perform my own songs."

Pallot said she began learning to play the piano at about six-years old.

"Then that was it, I was just obsessed," she said. "[I] never looked back."

Pallot said her music had taken her around the world, including to Morocco where she shot a video for her song Sophia.

She said she had been incredibly lucky throughout her music career, adding she now found live performances "magical".

She said she used to feel disappointed because she thought her career was going to be "bigger than it was".

"There was a moment where, you know, I was getting Brit Award nominations and things, and I was in the charts and I thought I would always be in the charts. I thought it would always be like that and it didn't work out that way," the singer said.

"You know, I may not be Taylor Swift, but I've made eight albums. I'm playing the Royal Albert Hall. I've got this incredible fan base.

"I look back and I speak to younger artists who are just trying to get a record out or get a tour and I realise how profoundly lucky I've been."

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