Quotes from Amy Macdonald

You just have to have a song that you're desperate to play along to, and for me it was 'Turn' by the Scottish band Travis. I went to see them headline the Scottish T in the Park Festival, so after that festival, I went home and taught myself all of the Travis back catalog with an old guitar and a little chord book.

My sister and I both used to wear matching clothes and now my mum, sister and I have the same bag which we all use even when together. Which probably doesn't look that cool.

I wanted music to be a career. To base everything on fame to me seemed a dangerous thing - I wanted my foundations to be about improving as a performer and writer. No one could push me into going down that route of being a celebrity singer.

I was asked if I'd audition for a part in a Broadway musical because the director just loved me.

I have always said that it is completely about the music, and I have never been interested in anything else. I think I've been able to maintain that. I'm a totally normal person, I don't get followed or have photographers waiting outside my door. So yes I have a very ordinary life.

My aim is always catchy songs, or songs with meaning and I want to write music people can relate to, about things anyone could go through, just real, honest music... songs that mean something, songs that are inspired by true life events.

I wouldn't have wasted a lot of time pursuing music. I was very lucky that my first demos got accepted.

I had planned on taking things easy for a while in 2014 but things started to crop up and I ended up having quite a busy year, with events including the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games with Rod Stewart.

I hate getting my photograph taken; just because I'm a musician doesn't mean I should have to sell my soul and have pictures of myself on stage with a red face and sweaty armpits plastered over 'Heat!' every week. I'm not a model.

I have a lot of fans in places like Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and I spend a lot of time there.

We have this obsession with celebrity, where people can go on shows and makes millions of pounds from being completely talentless - Jade Goody, all that type of people - and it really gets to me. I'm not interested, I'm a musician. It's not about being famous and being a celeb.

I'm quite well-rehearsed in having mental days; being awake at the crack of dawn and still having to be awake late at night.

If I'm out shopping, in Topshop or wherever, I'm never spotted. In fact, I'm usually asked if I have a student card. No-one seems to notice me, they're oblivious to who I am even in Scotland, and I'm very happy to be able to blend in with the crowd.

I've always bought CDs and even when I was young and at primary school I had a massive collection of CDs. I just like the excitement of opening it, reading the book, learning all the words and things like that. Hopefully I'll always be like that.

My band and I sometimes can't believe where we are in the world and what we're doing. But I'm very privileged to be in this position.

I think it's important to be in control of my own destiny; to a lot of people I'm just a product, so I feel it's up to me to take a keen interest in what's going on around me. After all, it's my life.

I write simple songs, and people like that. They're mature enough to appeal to people who aren't teenage girls. Most of my fans are older, and it's nice to think the songs can appeal to middle-aged men and women.

I just go out and sing my songs. I don't put on elaborate stage shows with ridiculous fancy dress.

Singing Flower of Scotland was the only thing that made me nervous.I don't get nervous doing my own shows.

I love 'Top Gear'. It's my favorite show.

I come from Glasgow and being from Glasgow everyone knows about Celtic and Rangers. It is a big part of most people's lives.

I support Rangers and every time an Old Firm match comes up people will talk about it and look forward to it.

If I've done a gig and at the end there are people waiting for autographs, they always seem nervous, but they probably don't realise that I'm more nervous than them. I get very embarrassed.

But I absolutely love New York. Every time I go there, I still get excited. When you come over the bridge and you're coming towards Manhattan, I still get goose bumps every time.