Live tour follows Irish singer’s return to pop with debut solo album last year.

Sharon Corr scored a series of major hits in the 1990s and early 2000s as the fiddle-playing member of Irish sibling band The Corrs.

The folk-pop four-piece was put on hold in 2006 but now Sharon is back – and heading to north London for the finale of her UK tour at the O2 Academy Islington on August 24.

The gig follows her return to the world of pop with the release of her debut solo album Dream of You last September.

“It’s really hard to step out of a huge band, particularly when you were not the lead singer,” said Sharon. “But the album has been wonderfully well received.”

She recorded the album her hometown of Dublin and includes an instrumental featuring legendary guitarist Jeff Beck on the traditional track Mna Na h�ireann (Women of Ireland).

The 41-year-old said: “I went to his gig in Dublin two years ago and blagged my way backstage. He was such a sweet guy, and I immediately wanted to work with him. I sent him the track and he totally fell in love with it.”

Although Sharon has stepped out of the spotlight over the past few years, she says she never stopped writing songs.

“That’s what I do,” she revealed. “It’s the best therapy. I just sit at the piano and play around, find a chord progression I like, and subconsciously whatever I have been thinking about will come into the lyrics.

“The album is a range of songs written over the last three years, inspired by all the life, love, laughter and heartache I’ve experienced in that time.”

Asked whether there are plans to reform The Corrs with siblings Andrea, Caroline and Jim, she said: “We never split up – but we have no plans to do anything at the moment. It’s very exciting being a solo artist. I love being in control of my own projects.

“You’re slightly fighting against the fact that some people just want The Corrs – but the band is a lovely platform from which to launch a solo career.”

She added: “You miss your family, but we’re all very happy doing our own things. We were in each others’ pockets for 20 years, having been at home for 20 years before that, so we’re all relishing being in control of own lives right now.”

- Sharon Corr performs at the O2 Academy Islington in the N1 Centre, Parkfield Street, Islington, on Wednesday, August 24. Dream of You is out now.