SHE was given tips on her debut album by Chris Martin in LA and has collaborated with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club.

But interviewing Rae Morris feels like catching up with an old friend – one who just so happens to have had a top 10 album.

And while music may come naturally for Rae after learning the piano when she was just four, fame has caught her a little off guard.

"Having a top 10 album wasn’t something I even considered," said Rae.

"When you release an album you don’t really think about the charts or any of that stuff because it’s like an added benefit if it happens.

"As a songwriter it’s a massive big deal just to release a whole body of work and have it there in front of you.

"I think in a way it gets more surreal as the time goes on because I’ve been touring since it came out and going to a lot of places I’ve never been to before.

"So you forget it happened until someone puts it in front of you to sign. It’s pretty amazing."

It all started when Rae posted some of her songs on the social networking site, MySpace, after being inspired by Feist, Cat Power, PJ Harvey, Dusty Springfield, Kate Bush.

They found their way on to BBC Introducing and the next thing she knew music scout Chris McCourt heard her...at the Mad Ferret in Preston.

She told Weekend: "I remember he came along to that gig along with a few other people from different labels. It was so surreal seeing those guys in Preston in this little pub."

Rae, a former waitress who worked in the executive boxes at Blackpool FC, is now 22 but was just 18 when she signed to Atlantic Records alongside artists like Coldplay and Paramore.

At the time most of her friends were still trying to work out what to do with their lives.

She added: "There were a lot of people involved and suddenly you go from just being this little person on your own with your family around you to having all these people on your team.

"You have lawyer and management and that was the weirdest thing for me – meeting all these different people.

"But it was wonderful. It meant that I had a bit of security and could avoid university basically. That was something I was very happy about – I didn’t want to go.

"The reason I signed with Atlantic was that they were very keen to give me time to develop.

"Playing live was my favourite thing to do so I didn’t want to leave that behind and go into the studio straight away.

"I just continued to tour a lot and developed over the course of three years and the record came out after that."

Not much has changed because Rae's touring schedule is just as busy and she will be at Delamere Forest supporting Tom Odell on Saturday, July 4.

"I've not been able to get home as much as I'd like to," said Rae who grow up in Blackpool.

"But I’ve been a few times recently because some of the gigs aren’t too far away and I can sneak back on a day off.

"I’m hoping over summer I’ll be able to do that a bit more. It’s my brother’s birthday so I’m having some family time after this.

"My family have been great about it and are going to come to some of the festivals."

But for all the amazing concerts and festivals, Rae said releasing her album Unguarded has been the highlight so far.

"All the things that have happened to me have been because of that," she added.

"The album is the story and is the whole core of what you are doing it for so everything else is the icing on the cake. That’s the most important thing.

"If there is a message it’s that you have to be yourself. What I wanted to put across was that I was doing something that came naturally to me.

"Then as the songs developed I realised they were becoming a story of growing up and those important three or four years in a teenager’s life where you turn into a ‘real human’. I think it’s really honest and real."

Rae was also honoured when her single Under The Shadow was named Zane Lowe's 'Hottest Record in the World' on Radio 1.

She said: "That was a huge thing and I feel lucky to be one of the last artists Zane featured before he left Radio 1.

"All this has made me grow up quickly which I think is a good thing.

"I’ve had some amazing experiences and done a lot of cool things over the last couple of years.

"But I think it’s all relative. It’s hard to have perspective on your own life. I have a lot of goals that I’ve yet to achieve and there are still a lot of things I want to do.

"I dream of playing an amazing gig somewhere. One of my favourite venues is the Hollywood Bowl in LA so to play there one day – even if it’s in 10 years time – would be amazing."

- Rae Morris performs with Tom Odell at Delamere Forest on Saturday, July 4.

Tickets are £34.50. Call 03000 680400 or visit forestry.gov.uk/music

DAVID MORGAN