Beverley Knight’s ‘Voice: The Best Of Beverley Knight’ is out on Parlophone Records on March 20th 2006. Her awesome voice has featured on a catalogue of hits spanning the 10 years since her club classic debut, Flavour of the Old School, burst onto the burgeoning UK urban scene of 1995.

• Despite the fact that you’ve been in the industry for over ten years now, you’ve never got to the stage of being commercial to the point of losing credibility. Was this a conscious decision?

It just worked out that way, and it’s the nature of what I do. My sound is not so mainstream friendly that it’s in danger of becoming a mass pop thing; I don’t think it’s ever been that way. I’m completely happy with that. If I do become a bigger name than I am, I think I’ll always have one foot in the very well known world and one in muso land. When you’re a massive name, there’s always the danger of it all ending tomorrow, one minute people love you, and then the next day they’re sick of you. I’ve hopefully built something that will last for the rest of my life. 

• You are widely regarded as The UK’s greatest soul singer. How does that make you feel?

It’s a lovely thing for people to say. When people think of you with such a high regard, it’s quite humbling, having so much faith put in me. This fell into my lap the day I was born and I hope to be an entertainer forever.

• Have you always been a singer?

I’ve always sang. I have a gospel background and started singing in church; it was actually the music that got me to church every Sunday! I ran away from the church at 17, but it was at that point that I started to take my music really seriously. I began singing the songs I’d been writing. I’d been writing songs since the age of 13, but to be quite honest they were bullshit! Then at 19 I got offered a record contract but I was just off to uni, so I told them that they’d have to wait, and when I finished I signed the deal. I made them wait!

• How long does it usually take you to put a song together?

It varies; anything from half an hour to a day to a couple of days. “Come As You Are” took me 20 minutes, whereas I agonised over the piano for a long time with “Gold”.

• What’s your favourite track off your forthcoming greatest hits collection?

I love the earliest song “Flavour of the Old School”. That was the song that began everything, it gave me the career I have today. I’m glad I wrote it.

• To what extent does your public persona reflect the real you?

I think people see me as a ‘nice girl’. You’ve got Jamelia, who’s the sexy chic, Ms. Dynamite, who’s seen as a bit naughty, then there’s me, who’s ‘oh so terribly good’! The truth is, when it comes to my personal life, I don’t give a lot of myself away. So I’d say half and half. There’s a whole side of me that they don’t get to see, I don’t show them. That was a very conscious decision on my part; I wanted to be known for my music, not for my personal life.

• What do you do on your days off?

I work out religiously. I have to stay looking good for the girls and boys! I also spend time being Aunty Bev to my three nieces. Ever since they were born they’ve been aware that I’m in the public eye, but to them and even their friends I’m just “Aunty Bev”, it’s great!

• How would people who know you best describe you?

Driven, opinionated, a shopaholic, and generous to a fault. And hopefully they’d say I was caring; I feel I have a huge capacity to care, so I’d like to think they’d say that.

• What’s the reality of the music industry?

It’s a very glamorous industry, with lots of lights, hair, makeup, and most importantly, lots of music. That’s what the public think. And it is all of the above, but what people don’t always realise is that the artist has had to pay for all of these things before they’ve even made the record. It’s a lot of hard work. What people don’t get to see is the arguments with the label over the video for example, the creative direction it’s going in and stuff like that. There’s a hell of a lot more that goes on below the surface; things that are not fabulous and glam. It’s not always as pretty as it looks. It’s fucking hard work. And the industry is so fickle, one day they love you, then they could switch, just like that. That’s the nature of the industry.

• What do you hate most about the industry?

It’s very difficult to handle when things get written about you that are not true. It’s a feeling similar to road rage, you’re fucking pissed off, but there’s not much you can really do, as you have no real recourse with the journalist. Unless you challenge them head on, they get away with it. You just have to roll with it though.

• You’ve spoken out quite heavily against homophobia in music…

Last year I was very vocal in wanting some of the dancehall artists to frankly shut the fuck up. But when I defended the LGBT community, I couldn’t believe the amount of stick I got! Most of the hostility came from the black media; they thought I was attacking black culture. People would write into the newspapers saying ‘It’s because her partner’s white, that’s why she thinks that way!’ But I had to take a stand against the homophobia; I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I hadn’t. Particularly in the black community, people have such a tough time coming out. In Jamaica, being homosexual is against the law. That’s bullshit. So people are under enough pressure without artists saying they should be hung from trees. There’s no way I’d stand for anyone attacking my people and getting away with it. No way.

• How do you feel about having such a large lesbian fan base?

I love it, I want more! It’s wonderful, if my music can translate through different ages, races, sexualities and cultures, it shows that real people get what I’m on about. I’ve always been completely comfortable in my own skin, so I embrace it.

• What’s next for you?

Lots of touring! And I’m also writing my next studio album, which should be out by 2007.

‘Voice: The Best of Beverley Knight’ is out on March 20^th

11 March: G-A-Y Performance
18 March: TOTP Reloaded Performance BBC2
13 March: Piece Of My Heart Release Date.
20 March: Best Of Album Release Date.