Florence and the Machine to Start Second Album in January

After a hugely successful 2009 Florence Welch can't wait to usher in 2010. The singer is planning to start the New Year in a recording studio -- with her band Florence and the Machine -- in order to begin work on the follow up to her breakthrough debut 'Lungs.'

The south London singer told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat that everything is pretty much ready to go: "We're recording the second album in January. Got the plan, I just want to start recording as soon as possible."

Florence and the Machine wind up 2009 with 'Lungs' one of the best-selling debuts of the year and a UK tour in December, their biggest to date. They head off to the US and Australia in the spring for more live engagements.

Despite her new found fame and success however, Florence explained to the radio station that she is yet to see the benefits. "I'm basically the same," she said. "Everyone's like, 'Aren't you supposed to be some loaded pop star?' and I'm like, 'No, trust me I'm not, I get an allowance.' It's useful having gigs because you get PDs - which is a tenner in the day.'

She continued: 'Life hasn't changed. I still get the bus. I have no cash cards so I'm pretty much broke and borrowing money still. My phone's broken; I'm still exactly the same."

The pressures of her new found fame have had an effect on Florence though. "Sometimes I get scared by the exposure, scared by negative criticism," she explained. "But it's something you learn to deal with and take it less personally. When you first get that it's like, 'Why is someone saying something so mean?' But you learn to take it not so personally."