AT last year’s Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival, the audience at the International Stage at Colne Muni got the chance to see Lisa Mills act as compere for a night featuring leading female blues artists.

Now this year she’ll once again be taking to the main stage but this time as a performer giving fans the chance to enjoy one of the great southern blues and gospel voices.

“Colne is an incredible festival,” said Lisa. “It has such a warm, community atmosphere and the level of acts is astonishing.

“Last year, walking in the streets there was something going on in every corner. There was just a buzz of excitement wherever you went. The venues are amazing too. I especially love the Muni it’s so retro, it’s definitely got a soul.”

For her show on Saturday, Lisa will be performing with British multi-instrumentalist Sam Kelly and members of his band.

“I’m particularly excited about that,” she said. “It’s going to be a great weekend because I will actually have time to spend time in Colne.

“I’m a solo artist mostly, I run my business out of my home and generally travel solo so to have opportunity to do show with a band and then have time to see other acts and visit friends is just going to be amazing.”

Music is Lisa’s life whether it’s performing or writing songs and she’s particular looking forward to the challenge of playing to a festival audience, some of whom may never of heard her music.

“Every show is like preaching to your flock,” she said, “and in some ways I find it easier to play in front of people who have never heard me before because they don’t have preconceived ideas and the show comes as a surprise.

“Each and every performance is unique. Generally speaking no matter what frame of mind I was in before I went on to do a show, afterwards I always feel uplifted and somehow inspired and everything is better.

“People give so much of themselves to an artist and that’s what keeps us going.”

Lisa promised that she will be performing some of the songs from her most recent album - Mama’s Juke Book - which she released last year. The album featured songs which her mother collected in a battered old note book which Lisa found after her mum died.

The album was aided by a Kickstarter campaign with fans helping cover the cost of the album.

“That project was so personal to me. It meant the world to get it done for so many reasons.” she said. “I have so much to thank my mum for. She helped to keep me grounded and not to get too big for my britches.

“She truly was my biggest fan but she was never afraid of telling me what she thought. She said one day ‘you’re lucky, I don’t usually like girl singers!’ I still think of her every day.”

Lisa is hoping to bring a new album of live material recorded last month in The Listening Room in her home town of Mobile Alabama to Colne.

“As an artist I don’t listen to myself very much and I get uncomfortable if people play my music in front of me,” she said. “But when I listened to those tracks on several songs I got chills so I’m hoping I can give people something that represents what I do live when it’s just me and my guitar.”

Lisa Mills, Colne Muni, Saturday, 5pm. Details from www.bluesfestival.co.uk