It has been nine years since Bermudian singer-songwriter and recording artist Heather Nova gave a rock concert in Bermuda.

So she is delighted to be part of this year's Bermuda Festival line-up, particularly as the Island celebrates its 400th anniversary.

"I am very much looking forward to the Festival performance. I remember going to the Festival as a child, and some of the performances had a lasting effect on me. After I saw a string quartet, I started taking violin lessons," she said.

As she did for her Millenium concert at Dockyard, Ms Nova has again brought her rock band to the Island to perform with her – a drummer and bassist from England, and a guitarist from Denmark – and she will be singing all her own material.

"I have been doing a rock show ever since I started, and that is how I made my name as a musician. My first record that got recognition was a live album with a rock band," added Ms Nova. "The show I am doing in the Festival is the one with which I have been touring in Europe. It's like a 'Best of' – favourites from all of my albums over the years. I have a fantastic band at the moment. They are wonderful musicians."

While Bermuda is now her permanent home, Ms Nova continues to tour and perform in Europe, albeit on a reduced scale now that she is a wife and mother.

"I used to spend eight months of the year on the road, but now I tour three times a year for a few weeks at a time," she said. "I do a tour in Europe in the autumn; I will be going back in the spring, and I will play the summer festivals in August. Mainland Europe is my biggest market."

A big plus for the singer these days is having her husband and five-year-old son travel with her, which she describes as "lovely".

"Basically, my husband looks after our little boy while I am working, so they get to see the zoos and playgrounds of Europe."

The family, musicians and crew travel between venues in a big, multi-bunk bus which Miss Nova likens to a comfortable mobile home for 10. Far from finding the constant travel exhausting, she finds going to sleep in one place and waking up in another "exciting".

Like most artists, the singer-songwriter finds inspiration in any and everything.

"Writing a song is like distilling a moment in time," she added. "You can take something sad and make it beautiful; you can take something everyday and make it interesting. Songwriting is like searching for answers. It is the searching part that is interesting, and I enjoy that.

"Half of the work in writing a song is inspiration, and the other half is trying to apply yourself. You have to have the discipline to finish a song, because it is very easy to get lots of ideas for the start, but you have to sit down and finish it, and that can take anything from a day to a month."

Part of the gestation process includes first playing the songs to her husband and a few close friends for their reactions.

In terms of creativity, Ms Nova admits that the level varies, with ideas coming more easily at some times than at others.

"You have to respect the natural flow of creativity," she said. "It is something that comes in waves, and you have to go with it when something comes to you. I often get ideas when I am out walking, and I have to hurry home and put them down. There is something about the rhythm of walking."

Later this year, Ms Nova plans to cut another album. Meanwhile, after living in London, England, for 15 years, she said she finally grew tired of the hustle and bustle of a big city, and decided to return home.

"I love being back in Bermuda," she added. "It feels like home, and I love walking outside each day and being in nature. I also like feeling like I am part of a community where I have roots. In a big city there is so much anonymity. I don't mean in terms of being recognised, but in a small community you can help to make a difference."