“I love the combination of heat, exhaustion, good music and not eating any food because you’re so busy,” she said.

“When you arrive in January, it just smells like the Tamworth Country Music Festival – it’s the heat and you just know you’re in town. It gets you excited.”

Although she’s planned a quieter festival this year, her 11th is still going to be filled to the brim with music, mates and making money for charity.

Her one major show is with Jason Owen this year, who is in Tamworth for his first festival. Jason and Amber recorded Islands In The Stream together and they play at Wests tomorrow.

The past year has also been a busy one, with a visit to Nashville, Cruisin’ Country and a visit to the Sinai to play for Australian and coalition troops.

“The travel was hard – 45 hours to get to the first destination, without any sleep or rest – but visiting the Pyramids, that was amazing – definitely the highlight of my year,” she said. “Singing to our servicemen and women, they were experiences money can’t buy. This comes only through singing, writing songs and doing the hard yards.”

Amber played for troops in East Timor in 2007 and said it was good to go again. 

In Nashville, Amber collaborated with songwriters to write for two sessions a day for three weeks.

“It puts you in a much more pressured situation and you get tired and emotional,” she said.

“The songs are definitely going to be different, but I’m excited for a new album and have done some demos. I’m really, really liking the new songs.”