Eva Simons happy to perform in ‘zen’ country | Isle of MTV

"It's such a zen country!" the Dutch-born singer-songwriter enthused. "Malta has a real spiritual vibe. If you guys actually live here you're really lucky - it's a paradise island!"

Something of a protégé of will.i.am's - the headlining artist of tonight's annual free concert - Simons also added that Malta would make "a good spot for a vacation."

"I didn't know much about Malta before I came here to be honest, apart from your Eurovision shows, where you always put on great acts! So it was great to discover what a beautiful country it is, and that it has such a great atmosphere."

Born and raised in Amsterdam to a family of musicians - her father was a pianist, her mother a vocalist - Simons was a classically-trained musician before embarking on a career in pop music, which was kick started when her song Silly Boy began to go viral on the internet - bolstered by some impromptu promotion by the popular rapper Kanye West.

"I'm very proud of my classical training, it helps me find unexpected melodies that other people might not notice," Simons said. "These classic sounds have a great influence on pop music, more than people might think," she added. 

In 2010, Simons and Mike Hamilton created the song Take Over Control, which was a produced by the popular DJ Afrojack and resulted in worldwide fame, garnering Platinum status in Australia and Gold in the US. In 2011, Simons collaborated with both LMFAO and will.i.am, and more recently, she can be heard on the latter's single This is Love.

"I'm very grateful to will.i.am, he's been so supportive. I'm not sure what exactly he sees in me, but it must be something!"

Currently working on her new album, Simons added that she expects it to be completed by the coming September... before that, however, the singer will be joining former Isle of MTV guests LMFAO on tour over the summer.

Asked whether she had any advice for aspiring musicians, Simons said simply: "Be yourself, you're enough. And if you think you're not enough... you just shouldn't think that way."

Isle of MTV will kick off tonight at 19:00 at the Granaries, Floriana. Simons will be joined by headliner will.i.am - who will sing together for a performance of This is Love - along with Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado and rapper Flo Rida.

Entrance to Isle of MTV is free.

For details about traffic arrangements to and from the event, click here.