IT WAS a case of leaving their egos at the door

IT WAS a case of leaving their egos at the door when supergroup the SuperHeavy came together.

Consisting of Mick Jagger, AR Rahmannf, Dave Stewart, Damian Marley and Joss Stone, it was no easy task to get this bunch of heavyweights to co-ordinate their schedules to be in the same studio at the same time.

When they did come together, it was a jam-packed studio.

"Everyone else came with their people - not me though," Stone says. "I just turned up with my handbag and a pencil."

Stone is talking on the phone from New York, where she has lots going on. As well as the SuperHeavy's debut album, Stone's fifth solo effort, LP1, is out now and she's heading to Australia next month.

At 24, Stone has forged a standout career for herself and is well respected by her peers. She has sold more than 11 million albums since starting out as a teenager a decade ago, enjoying huge international success with hits Tell Me 'Bout It and You Had Me.

Success aside, fame is not something Stone has chased. In fact, she has avoided it.

"When I began my life in this, I hoped to be credible, not to be just big for being big," she says.

"The point is to make really good music and to move people and if I do that, and only 100 people hear it, then I've succeeded. I love music and I never want to disrespect it and do it for fame's sake.

"Fame is not all it's cracked up to be. It's a pain in the arse. but it is wonderful to walk out on stage."

Stone's worst taste of fame came this year when two men were arrested and charged after a foiled kidnap attempt. They were found near her secluded Devon (UK) home carrying swords, rope and a body bag.

"They can rot in jail," she says. "These stupid idiots don't deserve a second thought."

The SuperHeavy project came out of left-field and Stone admits she was surprised even to be asked to contribute.

"Why me?" she says. "Of all the people in the world, why me?"

Dave Stewart, of Eurythmics fame, invited her to be part of the ambitious project. With her enchanting pop soul voice, her task simply was to inject her style into the album.

"I didn't feel too intimidated," Stone says. "The idea of the project is that we all do our own thing and be ourselves as

much as we can be and then mash them together to make this new sound. It certainly doesn't sound like anything else at the moment because it's a mix between five different genres."

Stone could have been forgiven for being intimidated by legendary Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger but she was not.

"He's just so sweet. Mick's not a scary guy. He's a really loving and giving character. He's a very intelligent chap, really interesting to be around. He's got a lot to give, which I find really lovely," she says.

The SuperHeavy first came together in 2009, with the self-titled album to be released on Friday.

The next step, hopefully, will be touring.

"I don't know how likely it is but I think it is possible," Stone says. "The fact is we did make this record and that was possible, so surely it is possible for us to go and tour."

Stone is due to arrive in Australia next month, joining Ricki-Lee Jones on stage for closing night of the Melbourne Festival. "I'm actually going to take some time to see Australia," she said. "I just want to come and enjoy it."

The Superheavy is out on Friday. LP1 is in stores now.

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