NEXT month sees Lisa Stansfield's earliest albums get a re-release - but don't expect the songstress to be listening to them.

The singer released her first new album in a decade, Seven, earlier this year and as she prepares for an O2 Academy gig this Saturday, it's clear she has no time for looking to the past.

"I don't listen to the old albums at all," she says, when asked if she's been revisiting them ahead of their re-release.

"We did the greatest hits a while ago, about 10 years ago now, and I decided what would be on there, but that's been it. If I don't have to do it, I'd rather not revisit past things.

"When you're making music it's like shedding a skin. You do that for an album and then you get on with it, so why go backwards?"

For a time, the songstress was more stationary rather than going forwards, though.

Her first three albums were huge hits, displaying a fantastic voice and a knack for chart-friendly tunes, with smashes including her massive Coldcut collaboration People Hold On, and the chart-topping All Around The World.

The following trio of records met with diminishing returns, however, and the singer started to feel that she was out of place in the current music scene.

"Everything for me has been standing still, and it was just a question of waiting till everything came around again and it was right to make another record," she says.

"It's like if there's a big train, the doors open and then you jump in again - it's like I've jumped on and I'm hoping for the best.

"I didn't want to do it before because I didn't fit in anywhere, and what's the point in making music you don't like yourself because you're trying to be successful?

"The only reason you should be making music is because it's something that you want to make."

That meant she turned down various safe options such as a covers album in favour of Seven.

At the same time she was writing consistently and coming up with ideas alongside her husband and musical collaborator, Ian Devaney.

Eventually she trimmed down around 50 tracks to the selection that ended up on Seven.

"It's always tough to cut things back," she adds.

"That's the hardest bit, going through loads and loads of songs and ideas, and you just have to whittle it all down and get it sorted.

"What's horrible is that you really love some of the things, but you have to put them back in the cupboard."

Lyrically, Seven features plenty of songs focused on women stuck in unsatisfying relationships.

In places those have been inspired by people she knows, but not, she quickly stresses, by anything in her own life.

"I've got so much experience now, and I've earned my stripes, or brownie points, and feel I can talk about things that are quite serious," she says.

"Some of it is about people I know, but it's never about me and my fella.

"We've been married for years, and after that amount of time would anyone want to hear about us? It'd be boring! I'd rather write about other people."

Given the career she's enjoyed, both musically and as an actress (her next film Northern Soul is released next month), she's lucky enough to be content about her work.

"If I never do anything else in my life I'd still be happy," she explains.

"I've already done amazing things and I hope to do that again, but I've already been so privileged in my life.

"Out of anyone I know I've been the most privileged person, because I've been able to do this music.

"I don't think you should ever do anything without having passion for it, and I've been able to do that."

l Lisa Stansfield O2 Academy Saturday, £27.50, 7pm