A quick word ... with Annie Crummer

Annie Crummer will play her first solo show in a decade tonight. Photo / Supplied

Annie Crummer says she is raring to go, what with her first solo show in 10 years tonight before joining some old musical mates in concert next week.

It's not as if Crummer will be out of practice, since she's played the Killer Queen in Queen musical We Will Rock You since 2003. At tonight's show, the former When The Cat's Away member will be performing hits like See What Love Can Do and Melting Pot, as well as testing out new songs from her third album, Project annie.c., which is out later this year.

We've got to ask ... are you sick of singing Queen songs yet? When I think about how hard it actually is, because you know, that bitch Freddie could sing, man, I must say, I'm pleased to have a break from it.

It's your first solo show in 10 years. It's a bit different from having a whole cast behind you. Are you nervous? You know, 10 years, 20 years, who cares? I'm the most un-nervous I've ever been. Can I tell you, I'm on fire, get out of my way because I feel so good about the music and over the last year [since taking a break from We Will Rock You] my focus has been on my music and my songs. Good songs are the key and how do you get that? By being the most honest you can be. So that's the stage I'm at.

A while back you lost your voice, and with it your self-confidence. Are you back on track? When you're a singer and it's all you've ever done all your life, when you lose your voice, you lose everything. The fear creeps in that you are never going to get it back. I got really down because I realised just how precious this gift, that was given to me by my father via my grandparents and God, is something that I was lucky to be blessed with and when it was taken away from me I was a bit nervous. As much as I love playing Killer Queen, she broke me man, it was the hardest gig. It finally took its toll on me and ping, I blew a capillary [in her throat]. I got it together though and got help from a wonderful singing teacher who rebuilt my larynx and so too my confidence, which is the person you are talking to now.

When you hear For Today [by the Netherworld Dancing Toys which Crummer sang on] playing at rugby matches do you find yourself singing along? For Today came out in 1985. Can you please remind people of that? You gotta admit it, those boys wrote a really good sports anthem chorus. One time I got up with the Wellington Ukulele Orchestra, because they do For Today, but I didn't even need to sing it because I just put the mic out to the audience and they sang it.

I hear your dad is part of the show this week and Project annie.c? You should hear my dad sing. If I didn't know this person, I would be such a huge fan. He was like the Rock God of the Cook Islands in his day, in the 60s. But as a Cook Islander, he doesn't have the typical island tone because he was brought up with his ear pressed up against the wireless and so he was being fed Nat King Cole, Roy Orbison and Jim Reeves. The smooth crooners. That was the era that was downloaded into my dad's brain and helped him produce the voice that he has, which is so luxurious.

Project annie.c has a little bit of a Beyonce ring to it? Oh no, I'm not cool. I'm cool with my uncoolness and that's about it. But annie.c is just one of my nicknames, because I couldn't call it Project Cuz.

Annie Crummer plays tonight at The Wharf in Northcote Point, and also at the Give It A Girl concerts, Sky City Theatre, September 2-5.