Gabrielle does not speak during the day when she's on tour so she can preserve her voice for singing.
Gabrielle
The 'Out of Reach' hitmaker is getting ready to go out on the road this month for a run of concerts across the UK and she has revealed that once her show is finished and after she has spoken to her children on the phone she takes a self-imposed vow of silence so that her vocal cords are in tip top condition for the next gig.
Gabrielle - who has a teenage daughter Patricia and grown-up son Jordan - also avoids drinking too much alcohol or consuming any food that can have a detrimental effect on her singing voice.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, she said: "I've got more rabbit than Sainsbury's but when I'm on tour I have to cut down the amount that I speak. Once I'm in my room I'm not back out again until rehearsal and I won't go anywhere, I don't get to see much of the places where I'm performing because I just want to rest and preserve my throat, I stay in bed and rest. I text my kids but I only speak to them at the end of the day rather than first thing in the morning, because I won't speak. When I do my steamers you're not supposed to speak for half an hour afterwards. These are the things I need to do so my voice can do the things it needs to do.
"First thing in the morning I can't speak to anyone. I actually won't speak until rehearsals because then I need to use my voice and start warming it up, then it's OK for me to speak.
"At night I've got to wind down from singing and talking, you come off stage and you're hyped but whereas the band might have a drink, I've got to cut that out. Sometimes I have one glass of champagne or wine, but that's it. I need to preserve my voice for the next show ... It's all about respecting your craft and I haven't always done that, you just take it for granted that your voice is always going to be there, now I've of the mindset that the more I do to preserve my voice the longer I'll be able to do it."
Gabrielle - who released her sixth studio album 'Under My Skin' in 2018, her first new LP for 11 years - relies on two different types of steamers to hydrate her throat and by combining that treatment with plenty of lemon and honey drinks she can keep her voice in good condition.
She added: "My steamers go everywhere with me. I have two kinds, I have an old fashioned one which is ceramic and you inhale from that and I do it first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. And I have a facial sauna one which is great because it's quite intense and you can have the heat on for longer periods of time. Keeping my voice strong and hydrated is the main thing for me ... I'm careful now, I do my steaming, drink water, get lots of sleep and drink lemon and honey and hot water - I always have a cup of that on stage now. I think people think it's a gin and tonic but I'd be on the floor if I was drinking during shows."
Gabrielle kicks off her 'Under My Skin' tour on March 20 at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow, Scotland, and includes a date at London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire.
Visit Gabrielle.co.uk/tour/ for more information and tickets.
UK HEADLINE DATES
20/03 - Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow
22/03 - Olympia, Dublin
24/03 - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
25/03 - De Montfort Hall, Leicester
26/03 - Corn Exchange, Cambridge
28/03 - Town Hall, Birmingham
29/03 - Parr Hall, Warrington
30/03 - Town Hall, Leeds
01/04 - Komedia, Bath
02/04 - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London
03/04 - Dome, Brighton
05/04 - Sage, Gateshead
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