Martha Wainwright talks ahead of Birmingham show

While other Canadian-American kids might have retreated to summer camp, she flew over to Britain for the Cambridge folk festival where she'd sit and watch from the side of the stage with her older brother, Rufus.

It was no surprise, therefore, that in 1997 she released an independent cassette before really finding her feet – and showcasing her remarkable voice – during the past 10 years. Successful albums that have charted on both sides of the Atlantic, in her native Canada and across Europe have made her a global artist.

And the latest product of her talent is the wonderful new album, Goodnight City, which features 12 brand new songs produced by Thomas Bartlett (Sufjan Stevens, Glen Hansard) and long-time producer Brad Albetta. It recalls the emotional rawness of her debut album, much of it encapsulated by the captivating lead track Around The Bend and her extraordinary voice.

Goodnight City is the follow up to Martha's 2012 release Come Home To Mama and has already drawn critical acclaim across the world.

She said: "Making Goodnight City was the most fun I've had in a long time. Thomas (keys), Brad (electric/bass), Phil Melanson (drums) and I would sit in a circle and work out arrangements for these vividly different songs. Recording them live with very few overdubs the focus remains on the integrity of the song and our ability to play together as a band."

Martha wrote half the songs on the album while the other half were written by friends and relatives: Beth Orton, Glen Hansard, Rufus, Wainwright, Michael Ondaatje and Merrill Garbus of tune-yArDs.

"Because these writers know me and because I was able to personalise these songs by changing things here and there, I made them feel as if I wrote them myself. Somehow they wonderfully reflect my life and I am so thankful to the other artists for writing them.

"I started a few years ago to write songs, I'd just had a second baby. This idea came up with Thomas Bartlett that I should make a record of other people's songs, written for me, to highlight my singing and make a successful record.

"We asked for a lot of songs from lots of different people that I know. But the truth is that not all of them were that great. If you write a great song, maybe you want it yourself or Adele to sing it.

"I had also started writing more songs myself, so we split it down the middle between mine and those from friends.

"Then I wrote some songs and selected the ones that suited me best from the offerings from friends and family."

Working in that way took away some of the intensity normally associated with a Martha Wainwright album. "In a way, it took a lot of pressure off me to write 14 strong songs and it alleviated some of the intensity. 14 songs of Martha Wainwright can be intense. This was a break from that and I was able to showcase my voice."

Her brother, Rufus, was inevitably on board. "I thought the song Rufus wrote was very lovely and very sweet. And with all of the songs, I was able to alter them to sound as though they were mine. Everybody has seemed nice and happy about the songs. People like what I've done."

It's been four years since Martha's last record, a gap that's not unusual for the singer-songwriter. Having a second baby was part of the reason for that.

"Combining parenthood with being a musician isn't easy. Today I'm leaving for the UK for a month and I have to leave the kids behind. It will be hard because they're still little but sometimes I'll take them on the road. I need to figure out how it will work. I feel very lucky. I am able to still work. I would never ever give up either.

"Certainly, having kids can hinder your music career, especially as a woman. Or if you spend time on the road, it can hinder your mothering ability. But combining both is my goal because that's what I have to do.

"The fact that I'm going to be gone and I'm busy is only worth it if the kids are happy. And I think they will see me being creative and being applauded and it will be exciting for them. I felt like that about my mother and I was proud and excited. She was this wild, amazing woman that I just was totally amazed by."

Wainwright has always enjoyed strong support in the UK and is delighted to be on the road. She's playing six UK dates in support of Goodnight City, including a headline date at Birmingham Town Hall on January 30.

"England is a home from home," she adds. "I didn't get any attention when I first made a record until I first came to England. That's the story with a lot of American songwriters. I couldn't get arrested over here in North America and it wasn't until I was opened up to the British press and public that I was embraced. For me, it's a touchstone in many ways.

"But Britain was my start point, culturally. My father was an Anglophile, having lived there, and we spent a lot of time there as kids. Richard and Linda Thompson were people I listened to and Linda was a huge influence. Other British singers, like Maddy Prior, were also instrumental to my development.

"Of course, later on, there were pop bands like Joy Division. British music was the defining part of my youth.

"I mainly toured with my parents with the summers, when they did festivals. I remember coming to Cambridge with Loudon. He played it so many times. And then I remember my dad visiting his girlfriends, but we don't need to talk about that."

By Andy Richardson