Paloma Faith to bring new tour to Birmingham

The singer had enjoyed three successive number two records – but reached the coveted top spot for the first time in November.

And she’s on the road to promote that record with a headline show at Birmingham’s Genting Arena on Wednesday.

Paloma is one of only two British female artists this decade to have their last three albums go double platinum in the UK.

And her new album features an array of acclaimed co-writers, producers and collaborators including: Sia, John Legend, Jesse Shatkin, TMS, Starsmith, Tobias Jesso Jr., Eg White, Rag‘n’Bone Man, actor Samuel L. Jackson and journalist and activist Owen Jones.

The record marked a change in direction. “It was partly because I felt a little bit disconcerted about music in general.

“The music I was raised with was very much observation of the current climate that it was written in. My mum was young in the 60s and 70s and people used to sing about everything then, obviously heartbreak songs would come into it, but they’d sing about everything else in their lives and I feel like that’s something that’s died out and it’s a shame because it’s really important to be aware of the world you live in as well.

“I feel particularly at this moment in time it’s even more important because it feels like there’s something in the water that doesn’t feel quite right.”

Her impending parenthood – she’s now the mother of a healthy child – influenced the record strongly.

“Thinking about what am I going to teach this person I’m bringing into the world and what’s important, how can this child make the world better and feel a sense of responsibility not for themselves but for other people, because I feel like we’ve had a massive demise in community.

“Basically I was thinking about qualities that I would want to pass on, like empathy and kindness.”