A quick word with: Lisa Chappell

Lisa Chappell's singing debut was foretold by Russell Crowe's psychic.

When Lisa Chappell left McLeod's Daughters three years ago, the fans were fraught. But she's done a Russell Crowe and now she's back.

Yes, Chappell has recorded her debut solo album, When Then Is Now, which has a folky Joni Mitchell feel to it, with a slight Celtic influence, and hints of Nana Mouskouri.

Talking of Crowe, she met his psychic who told her "You'll sing. Your voice has been put down and quietened for too long but you need to be heard."

Tell us about that psychic.

It was odd. I don't really do the psychic thing and we literally bumped into each other [at an acting school] and he looked me in the eye and said, "You'll sing". And then he just turned around and we both went about our conversations.

I immediately forgot it because I thought he was a crackpot and it wasn't until I had the album in my hand one day that that memory came flooding back and I thought, "Oh, he was right".

I wonder if he does a good job for Russell?

Well, he must do, he's got a pretty reasonable career.[laughs]

Was making the album the main reason for you leaving McLeod's Daughters?

There were a myriad of reasons, but that was the strong creative one. I've been writing songs for many years. I finished a new batch of songs while I was working on the show and I just felt compelled to make an album. And, of course, you can't even scratch your bum when you're on McLeod's ... because it's a pretty busy schedule.

Is this the first time you've recorded songs properly?

Well, anything that's gone public [laughs]. I've done demos with people, but yeah, this is the first time I have recorded. And I loved it, I really loved it.

It was a really beautiful process with [producer] Rick Price who has a studio at his house so it was a really relaxed environment. The whole thing was relaxed.

Because I was paying for it we didn't have a big studio breathing down our neck, kind of expecting a track a day. But [recording] is such a big process, and ignorance is bliss really, because had I known what I was launching myself into I don't think I would have done it.

You're used to putting yourself out there as an actor, but being a musician is a totally different story.

Yeah, especially when you've written the stuff - you can't blame the costume person, or the director. You've really got to go, "Well, this is just me and it's nobody else's responsibility except my own." The good thing is in making the album I was never going in to please other people.

Are you feeling okay about doing the live gigs?

I have so much fun and people are coming back to see the gigs. I just chat to the audience, tell them the stories behind each song, and why I wrote them.

Who is your audience?

I have a few diehard McLeod's fans who have been aware that the reason I left the show was to make the album. They've been very supportive over the years, because it's taken me a number of years. Then you get people off the street, my loyal friends, and people who have heard it on [website] myspace. It's had 100,000 hits.

You've always sung, so why didn't singing come before acting?

I've always had immense confidence with acting, because you're using other people's words and you're covering up, whereas with music it's all about uncovering, and feeling. I think it's taken me until now to be comfortable with being that honest, and also being comfortable in my own skin for people to see me as I am without the artifices of another character.

And finally, what are your memories of Gloss and the lovely Chelsea?

Only great memories. They were such lovely broad characters, which was unusual for New Zealand television at that time. I always look back and have a silly grin on my face when I think about Gloss.

Chelsea was such a great character for me to play because I was from a background so dissimilar to hers - a very normal, working-class background. To be playing the royal spoilt rich bitch was fun.

* When Then Is Now is out next Wednesday. Chappell plays the Studio, Auckland, on June 28 and Sandwiches, Wellington, on June 29.