Imelda May is as feisty and fiery as the songs she sings. She has been in full control of her career from the early days of gigging in the clubs and pubs of Ireland and now, at the age of 40, she's still making music on her terms.
May has not long released her fourth album, Tribal - a mix of raucous rockabilly, high-energy blues and big, powerful ballads. And although it's the first record on which she has relinquished some of the production duties - calling in Mike Crossey - she's as hands-on as she ever was.
"I write it on my own, I do the arrangements by myself, then I meet up with the guys in the band and we rehearse, then we get into the studio.
"Then it's back in the studio mixing, editing, mastering. Then I'm doing the art work and all of that."
May makes no secret of the fact that she likes to be the one behind the wheel; however, she insists it wasn't difficult handing over some of the driving to Crossey, who has worked with the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Foals and Jake Bugg.