American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega talks ahead of Birmingham show

American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega had no idea she was writing a song that would define her career when she penned Tom’s Diner back in 1982.

It was remixed by DNA and became a top 10 hit around the world before being sampled or re-imagined by artists as diverse as Billy Bragg, REM, Public Enemy, Nikki D and Lil’ Kim, among many others. Others who flocked to cover it included Timbaland, the supermodel Naomi Campbell, Aaliyah, Destiny’s Child, Drake and, improbably, the Turkish comedy band Grup Vitamin.

The song lives on. It was used in the opening scene of the 1993 film Untamed Heart and the Empire soundtrack two years ago.

This autumn, however, its writer will reclaim the song as she celebrates the 30th anniversary from the album on which it featured: Solitude Standing. Suzanne is touring the UK with that landmark record, while simultaneously celebrating the 25th anniversary of 99.9F, her fourth studio album. There’ll be other hits during a celebratory evening at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on September 26.

She’s looking forward to honouring some of the finest moments from her career.

“People have been doing these sorts of tours for a while. We did a limited run four years ago for Solitude and it went so well that I thought it would be fun to them both on the road, which will be different.

“In one evening, there’ll be the classic hits as well as the softer songs. We’ll go from Blood Makes Noise to Gypsy. Creatively, that’s fun for me – although it’s some work because I’ve not done some of these songs for more than 20 years. You know, it’s inevitable that some of the songs fall by the wayside – maybe because I don’t like them.”

Suzanne will play 12 UK dates on her tour. She’s always found a home-from-home in Britain. While her debut album stalled at number 91 in the USA, it reached number 11 in the UK. And many of her seven million record sales have been sold on this side of the Atlantic.

She’ll perform tracks such as Luka, Tom’s Diner, and In Liverpool from Solitude Standing and 99.9F.

Having emerged as a leading figure in the folk-music revival of the early 1980s accompanying herself simply with an acoustic guitar, Suzanne released her second album, in 1987. It went on to chart at number two in the UK and number 11 in the USA, going platinum and earning a nomination for Record of the Year at the Grammys in the process.

Always pushing the boundaries of music both lyrically and sonically, Suzanne released 99.9F in 1992. It had a more electronic sound, bringing with it descriptions of ‘industrial folk’ and ‘techno folk’. The record was certified gold, and also won a New York Music Award for Best Rock Album.

She adds: “These songs were written and recorded many years ago, but I still love playing them live, and have ever since the albums first came out.

“It’s kind of a challenge but not really – we’ve figured that we’ll probably start the show with Solitude Standing. It has to open with the a capella version of Tom’s Diner, with the remix version at the end of the show.

“When I play the remix version live, it’s so much fun. Everyone knows it and sometimes people dance. In this concert, you get both versions.”

Suzanne faces both ways. While she’s content to remember songs from the past, she continues to embrace new creative challenges. Most recently, she released her ninth studio album, the delightful Lover, Beloved: Songs from an Evening with Carson McCullers.

It honoured the work of the writer Carson McCullers, who Suzanne discovered at the age of 15.

“I think we’ll do one song from the new album. We are going to end the whole evening with Carson’s Last Supper because it’s a beautiful song. It sums up my career. I love the world and sometimes it loves me. It’s everybody together.”

Suzanne’s story is remarkable. She was born in California to a German-Swedish mother and a Scottish-English-Irish father, who divorced soon after her birth. Her stepfather was a writer and teacher and she soon moved with her family to New York City. She attended the High School of Performing Arts, studying modern dance, and graduated in 1977. One of her favourite haunts was the Cornelia Street Café, in Greenwich Village, where she aired her first songs. And by 1984 she had signed a major label recording contract, with A&M.

It achieved platinum status in the UK and was well received by critics. Solitude Standing followed two years later, selling more than a million and spawning the international hit Luka, as well as Tom’s Diner.

Writing music always felt like the most natural thing of all to Suzanne.

“My dream when I was young was to be some kind of artist. When I was very young I didn’t know what shape or form. I didn’t know whether it would be a dancer or drawer. I loved poetry and was fascinated by film and theatre. My main theme was how to express myself because I found that difficult. I worked at that and I still work at that – it’s what I consider my life’s work. I’m a natural introvert. So I’ve been interested in how to express thoughts, feelings, emotions ideas – you know, how to get what’s inside - out. I’m more likely not to express feelings. It takes a lot of time.”

Which makes her success all the more remarkable. She is happy in solitude, away from the bright lights. Her mastery of performance has taken many years.

“The challenge for me is being a performer. You have to have the stamina and good health. How do you keep up the stamina to sing really well. You have to make it real each time. I practice and thrive on that.”

Though Solitude Standing was her most successful album, 99.9F was her favourite. “That was really life changing for me. It was so much fun working with the producer, Mitchell Froom. He was creative and funny. The work had a vitality about it and an edginess that I’d always wanted to hear. So we were challenging each other and that was compelling.”

Like all performers, she’s had her ups and downs. She released two albums during the 2000s, neither of which made the top 100 on either side of the Atlantic. Not that commercial indicators get her down. “I get passed difficult moments by keeping the long term picture in mind. When I think back to being 16 and playing the guitar in my room and having a dream of going to play to people, I intended to be in it for a long time.

“The big years when I was on the pop charts were fun, but I didn’t expect to maintain that so I saved money to keep me through those lean years and become more independent. I keep the budgets small and simple. I don’t regret anything. I’ve loved every phase. I just love being on the stage. That continues.”

Besides, the pressure of fame was enormously distracting. During her golden years, she was pulled this way and that – when all she wanted to do was write and sing.

“The pressure was distracting because everyone was eager for me to do it again. They put you in a room and tell you to write 10 more hits. Then it becomes forced and you are very self conscious. The years after Solitude were hard. I was exhausted and physically at my limit. Trying to find music that was so vibrant was hard – but that’s why 99.9F was so great.”

Touring remains joyous – and she has a particular fondness for both Wolverhampton and Birmingham, cities that have welcomed her on many occasions.

“I remember both, yes, particularly one show back in the 1980s. I was in Wolverhampton and clearly not in good voice. The audience was brilliant. I had lost my voice told story after story, plus I had a back-up singer who would sing all the high notes. I remember making this jokey show and the audience was brilliant. Most people probably remember it as a really unusual show where I told a lot of stories and blew my noise a lot. But Wolverhampton will always be in my memory for that. The audience was so gracious.”