My nine to five: Beverley Knight

Today I was up at 6am. Most mornings start with going to the gym. It's part of my routine now – I'll go five or six times in a week if I can, and give myself a day off in between to rest. After the gym I come back home for breakfast. I try to be very healthy so it's lean protein, usually fish. Today I had a fillet of steamed trout with dark green leafy veg. I grew up with callaloo, which is just like spinach, and served in the West Indies for breakfast with salt fish. I never skip meals – I wouldn't be able to function if I did. When I'm in the studio writing songs, I'll spend some time thinking about what I'm feeling and I'll carry that into the studio with me. My mood really influences me. About a year ago, I remember feeling melancholy. I arrived at the writing studio in that sort of mood. Then the sound engineer came in really excited because it was President Obama's inauguration. That totally lifted my mood and that feeling of hope influenced what I produced that day. Writing a song is a creative process, but we are also working to deadlines, so I will usually allow a day for a song – at least to get the melody and most of the lyrics written. For me, the melody comes first and then the lyrics. Sometimes personal thoughts and feelings end up being universal as well – Shoulda Woulda Coulda was all about a relationship that just didn't work out for me, and it ended up being a set of words for an emotion that loads of people go through. It's become one of my most enduring songs. Songwriting is therapeutic , but there have been times when I've sat there and thought "I'm stuck! I don't know what to write!" When I get like that, I have to put the kettle on. If it's a bad day writing wise, I can get through eight or nine cups of tea; decaff, mind. When I have a single coming out , my schedule gets crazy. Today I've got two photoshoots. It's knackering, but mostly fun. I love photoshoots – I get to sit and have my hair and makeup done. My management do my day-to-day diary; the rest of it is up to me. I wrote my new song Soul Survivor with Guy Chambers. I was flowing that day – we had the melody and the lyrics done within two hours and then we spent the rest of the day putting the music in place. We got to the studio at midday and left at 6pm, with most of it done. The first thing I do when I come home is take my contact lenses out and put my glasses on. As soon as I've done that, I'm not "Beverley Knight", I'm just "Bev"; it's like taking all the trappings of my character off. I'll put on my loungy stuff and I'll watch CSI on telly. I just love those criminal investigation programmes. It's important for me to spend quality time with my other half , James. I've learned that you've got to make time to be with the person you love and strike a balance. We both love cooking and we definitely spend more time eating in than out. He worked as a chef a long time ago and he's always trying to get in the middle of what I'm doing – he's all "I wouldn't put the onions in yet" – and then I usually just shrug my shoulders and let him do it instead. Beverley Knight's new single, Soul Survivor, is out now