It’s often said that a fresh start can benefit a person.

That seems to be the case for American songstress Lissie, who plays the Old Fruitmarket on Tuesday night.

The 34-year-old’s recent album My Wild West was partly inspired by her move from glamorous Southern California back to her roots in the American Midwest, where she decided to buy a farm.

“I was just fed up with the notion of what I was supposed to want and do,” explains Lissie, real name Elisabeth Maraus.

“I got real anxious and upon saying ‘enough is enough’ decided to buy land in Iowa a few hours north of where I grew up. It was always a romantic idea to me that someday I'd buy a farm. I'm very pleased with my decision while still settling and figuring it all out. It's going to be a life's work!”

It’s not all plain sailing with the move, though. Our original interview slot ended up postponed because the singer found herself dealing with the discovery that she had mice in the house, and there’s been a few other adjustments to make, too…

“I was in Southern California for 12 years so I think that not being able to just go outside with bare feet will be a trip,” she laughs.

“I like the cold in a lot of ways and look forward to it but yeah, it's an adjustment! Also I'm just really enjoying the open space and calm and ease of country living, but there are always a million and one things that need tending, whether it's a house project or an errand or a negotiation with a neighbour.”

Lissie’s musical career has been pretty packed this year, too. As well as My Wild West, which went Top 20 like her first two records, she also recently released the live acoustic album Live At Union Chapel, while she has been gigging for most of the year too.

Having had a taste of a big record label in the past with Columbia Records, she has now found her own path, although still keeping a knack of penning huge choruses and extremely catchy melodies.

She feels that My Wild West let her get back to writing with freedom.

“I was in charge and I was letting out what I wanted letting out,” she explains.

“Mainly I got back to writing and creating from a spontaneous, introspective and joyful place, without any fear of how it would be received. That felt good and is reflected in the work I think, there’s no over thinking or outside pressure this time around.”

A lot of My Wild West’s lyrics feature the singer in introspective mood, looking over her life. Given that there seems an emotional fragility to some of her words, how does she find singing them each night?

“I try to really clear my head onstage and get inside the words,” she adds.

“I can't always get there but when I do, I definitely get taken back to the moment I was inspired to write. I wrote Stay in a parking lot after a boy I liked said he couldn't be with me. I've been over that for like two years, but it applies to situations I've found myself in since – a longing to find a companion in this crazy world.”

Another track on the record, Daughters, was used to help raise funds for the group charity:water earlier this year. The singer believes their work in helping people in poverty stricken countries get clean water is vital.

“In Africa alone women spend 40 billion hours a year collecting water,” she explains.

“In a lot of countries and cultures it's the women's responsibility to gather water. That's time that could be spent getting educated, starting businesses, and of course cultivating so many other areas of life, so charity water is a fantastic organisation that provides clean and easily accessible wells catered to the regions it assists.”

A less optimistic note comes with the recent American Presidential elections. Lissie was a passionate support of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, and has been left gutted by the success of Donald Trump.

“It breaks my heart that we will soon have a president that has insulted, ridiculed and intimidated so many people here and abroad,” she says.

“Maybe this is some sort of wake up call to confront ourselves and our biases and privileges and do more in real time to make those lives around us better? If I'm hopeful, it's darkest before the dawn.”

Lissie, Old Fruitmarket, Tuesday, £20, 8pm