HER emotionally-drenched love songs have provided the soundtrack to decades of cosy nights in and steamy soirées.

But Caribbean-born singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading – one of the few women artists to be made an MBE – is an intensely private person.

Softly-spoken, shy even, she has a self-effacing charm that belies her success as a three-times Grammy nominated artist with 19 albums to her credit.

“I’m a very quiet person, and like my privacy,” she says.

The Love and Affection star is part way through a hectic 35-date UK tour, which, on Sunday sees her play the New Theatre. I catch up with her in Cambridge, where she explains her appeal.

“People think of it as emotional music,” she says. “And they get very attached to the songs. My music touches people in different ways. Whatever relationship people want to have with my music is up to them – but it is completely flattering.

“It’s nice to write about things which affect people.”

So does she see herself as a romantic person? “Well, if it wasn’t in me, it wouldn’t come out,” she says.

As she approaches her fifth decade in music, Joan remains as prolific as ever. Her latest album, This Charming Life sees the Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter in a rockier frame of mind. And, with the exception of drums, she plays every instrument on the record.

“I just like writing songs,” she says. “And when they’re written I want to present them on tour.

“It’s all about seeing the audience and their reaction – and watching them hold each other.”

Joan’s own story is an inspiring one. Born in St Kitts, and moving to England when she was seven, she took her first musical steps on her mother’s piano.

Although her father had a guitar it was strictly out of bounds. So when Joan saw one for £3 in a pawn shop window she pestered her mother to barter two old prams they no longer used. “My mother didn’t have £3,” she explains.

Teaching herself to play, she began writing songs at 14. She went on to have not just a glittering solo career, but worked alongside members of Fairport Convention, the Police, and Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.

A driven woman, Joan achieved a life-long goal by getting a degree from the Open University after five years of studying history.

It’s that desire to take up new challenges, which saw her trudging through the streets of the Big Apple two years ago – running the New York Marathon.

“To me it was a pretty weird experience,” she says wryly. “I am used to being on stage with a crowd around me – but in a marathon I wanted to be alone. I loved doing it, but not the crowd.”

The marathon could be a metaphor for her career. But she has no plans to quit any time soon. “I’m going to carry on writing songs whether you like it or not!” she says, seriously.

“And if people have never seen me before, they’re in for a nice treat.”