The former Fairground Attraction lead vocalist is in Dunedin for her New Edinburgh Folk Club concert at the Otago Settlers Museum tomorrow night.
"It's my first time in Dunedin.
"Everyone's been telling me there was a wee Edinburgh here and I thought they were pulling my chain. It's gorgeous; just like home," Reader (50) said yesterday.
"It's fantastic here. Whenever I've played in this part of the world, people have said to me: `You've got to see Dunedin. It's Scotland in miniature'."
Reader was born Sadenia Reader as the eldest of a musical family of seven bairns.
"In our neighbourhood, we had parties for everything - New Years, christenings, communions, if someone bought a new car or a new colour telly - there'd be a party," she said.
"Uncle Frank would be doing Frank Sinatra and Dad would be doing Elvis, while Mum was a huge Nat King Cole and Peggy Lee fan."
Reader started learning guitar at 10 and was soon busking in Glasgow, London and around Europe.
She went on to sing with the Eurythmics, the Waterboys and Alison Moyet, before forming Fairground Attraction in 1987 with guitarist and songwriter Mark Nevin.
Within a year, the band had released Perfect, which became a UK No 1 hit and won best single at the 1989 Brit Awards, while the album, The First of a Million Kisses, reached No 2 in the UK charts and won best album at the Brit Awards.
Fairground Attraction was disbanded in 1990 and Reader has since forged a solo career, regularly touring with the Jools Holland band and the Scottish National Orchestra.
She also recently appeared in the new Richard Linkater film Me and Orson Welles.
Reader now lives in Irvine, North Ayrshire, southwest of Glasgow, which isabout half the size of Dunedin.
She released The Songs of Robert Burns Deluxe Edition in January last year to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Bard's birth.
"I got a real affection for him, because he was born in Ayrshire.
He lived in Irvine for a couple of years from when he was 21," she said.
"I've been touring since January and we've got four days here in Dunedin, so I'm treating it like a bit of a holiday break and I'm going to have a good look around," she said, smiling.
"I've already had the best whitebait I've ever tasted, at Scotia."
Reader will be accompanied by Irish virtuoso Aland Kelly and guitarist and songwriter Boo Hewerdine.
