Dido talks about becoming a mother, new album

NEW YORK (AP) — Dido does not know the sex of her baby, but she is not going wait until her due date to find out.

"I'm too curious," the British singer-songwriter said in a recent interview. "It's enough of a surprise on the day."

Dido is due to have her first child this summer. Its already has been a big year: She was nominated for an Academy Award for best song for co-writing "If I Rise" from the movie "127 Hours," and is finishing up a new album.

"I'm nearly done," she said last month about her coming album. "Music will just start coming out as this year goes on."

Dido, perhaps best known stateside for the song "Thank You," which was sampled by Eminem for "Stan," said her new record brings her back to her electronic roots. She is once again working with her brother, Rollo Armstrong, as well as other producers.

"It's been a thoroughly enjoyable record," she said. "It's a real mix, and in a funny sort of way, it's a mix of everything, some sort of big electronic extravaganza. It's much more electronic than the last record."

"Safe Trip Home," which was released in 2008, was Dido's last studio album. She is more eager to perform in front of fans with her new album.

"... I didn't want to tour that record for a really long time, partly because it was a really dark record and stuff, whereas this record, apart from anything, there's a lot of really fun stuff on this record," the 39-year-old said.

Of course, before Dido goes on the road, she will be dealing with her first priority: her new baby. She did not perform at the Oscars because of her pregnancy, and after the baby is born, she plans to take time off. But for the moment, she is enjoying the "very exciting" time in her life.

"There's a real calmness about it which I think is really nice. Your decisions are sort of made for you," she said, laughing. "You just have this priority that is unchangeable, and I think that's a great calmness that comes from that."

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