Born and raised in South Carolina and now based in Northern Ireland, Dana Masters has been wowing audiences in her adopted homeland for the last few years, both with her own material and as part of Van Morrison's backing band.

Now, she's bringing her jazz-inflected soul/pop songs south of the border and will play The Sugar Club in Dublin this coming Thursday, February 9th.

Ahead of her gig, we grabbed a quick chat with the soul star to get her take on The Big Questions...

When did you first realise that you wanted a career in music? 
Two years ago. I have always loved and done music but I wasn’t ready to commit to it until recently.

What’s the music that you listened to growing up, that you still listen to today?
I grew up on Motown/Funk and Soul…. I'm always in the mood for a bit of Marvin Gaye and Chaka Khan.

In three words, describe the minute before you walk on stage.
LET'S.DO.THIS.

What’s the one song you wish you’d written or recorded first?
Lianne La Havas - 'Elusive'.

What song of yours are you most proud of?
'When I Was Queen'.

What’s your favourite venue to perform in?
Any intimate venue with great sound.

Your best and worst gig so far?
My worst was in Dublin. I had laryngitis but I was determined to do the gig – I sounded more like Barry White than Dana Masters.

Vinyl or digital downloads?
I think the cool answer is vinyl, but my reality is digital at the minute.

Name one record, one book and one film that everyone should hear / read / see.
Gregory Porter - 'Take Me to the Alley' ; Maya Angelou - 'The Complete Poetry'; Film: 'About Time'.

You’re ordering take-out, what do you get?
Thai food.

You’ve been given €100,000 to spend, but only 1 hour to spend it. What do you buy?
Pay off my mortgage!

Describe your perfect day off.
In my front room PJs on, stove lit, a cup of coffee or glass of wine and a book.

Finally, what does 2017 have in store for you?
I’m so excited about 2017 - I’m going to write like a mad woman, record an album and lots more gigs.

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Dana Masters plays The Sugar Club, Dublin on Thursday, February 9th. Tickets are on sale from usual outlets now.