"I'm really mindful that the industry has completely changed, and piracy and illegal downloading has absolutely rocked the business.
"Back in the day Drive (debut album in 1997) and Beautiful Collision (the 2002 follow-up) sold over 100,000 copies in New Zealand. That's a lot of records, but these days it would be about 30,000 copies. And it's not because there are less people listening to the music - just more people downloading it."
So, given that, what are the expectations for Belle?
"I don't really have too many, to be honest. I really enjoyed making the album although it was hard to get back into it after having a child.
"But I'm back at work now and it feels good. I've had a good break and now there are more things to talk about in my music. It was vital that I take a break and live a normal life. If you are a pop singer it's easy just to shake it and fake it, but as a singer-songwriter you can't really force it. People can smell it a mile off if you're not genuine."
Having given Belle a few advance blasts it's clear that Runga is writing with a maturity that wasn't there in her previous work.
"Part of that is being a parent," she says, "but I also wrote more with other people this time. It's normal for most artists to write with other people. But I never really did that before for some reason. I found it really helpful - in fact, it was quite liberating."
"When my child was about 2 I started to want to write with other people and I was very surprised by how much they wanted to work with me and how much they remembered me and my music. The New Zealand music scene is very supportive."
Her collaborators on Belle include Dann Hume, drummer for Evermore, and Kody Neilson, former frontman for Kiwi rockers The Mint Chicks, who not co-wrote several songs and produced the album.
The Devil On Tambourine, one of the last songs recorded, was another Neilson-Runga song inspired by a quote from Miles Davis.
"What I like about working with Kody is he's punk-spirited, and deep down I think I am, too. Being a woman, you have to do it with subterfuge and manipulation, rather than might. But I'm not ready to do what I'm told."
Runga says one aspect of the "new" music scene she enjoys is that playing live has become even more important and next week she's starting a national tour playing some of the country's grandest churches on the Classic Hits Acoustic Church Tour.
"It's all about playing live now. That's the only upside, that playing live is your domain and you can control that world at least, so it's more important than ever to put on a really good show."
"The tour gives me the chance to play in places that have great acoustics and some of the most beautiful architecture in the country."
TOUR DATES
November 17: Whangarei, Central Baptist Church.
November 18: Tauranga, Holy Trinity Church.
November 19: Hamilton, Chapel of Christ The King.
November 21: Pukekohe, Franklin Baptist Church.
November 22 and 23: Auckland, Holy Trinity Cathedral.
November 25: Napier, St John's Cathedral.
November 26: Palmerston North, All Saints Church.
November 28: Masterton, St Matthew's Anglican Church.
November 29 and 30: Wellington, Cathedral.
December 2 and 3: Christchurch, St Michael & All Angels.
December 5: Timaru, St Mary's Church.
December 6 and 7: Dunedin, Knox Church.
December 8: Invercargill, First Presbyterian Church.
For tickets check out, www.acousticchurchtour.co.nz