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THEY don't come more dedicated than Monique Brumby.

The Melbourne-based singer songwriter is in the middle of a residency at the Sandringham Hotel in Newtown which involves her flying in and out just for the gigs.

"I love playing to that eclectic, bohemian crowd in Newtown,'' Brumby said. "That's the great thing about music, it transcends class or social status and I think after 10 years I've got a real mix of people coming to my shows.''

It is amazing to think that it's been 10 years since Brumby won an ARIA for best new talent and best female artist.

Since then she has been signed to a major record label and then decided to go independent, co-producing her new album Into the Blue and most recently touring with The Bangles.

"It was really, really great,'' Brumby said. "They were so supportive. They gave us extra time to sound check, to play, they watched our show and invited us out for drinks. They were incredibly down to earth, I was blown away.''

They particularly compared notes about being a woman in a male-dominated industry and the machine behind a major record label.

"There's not a lot of consideration from major record companies about the destructive nature of the industry and how it affects the artist. The big machine just churns away and the little artist gets battered and bruised.

"I look at a lot of young artists like Missy Higgins and I hope they have really good support networks. I certainly didn't sell as many records as her but I still felt the pressure.''

Despite this Brumby said she was glad to have had the experience so early in her career.

"It gave me exposure and confident in myself to realise I could have a career as a musician. It makes you appreciate things when they're good.''

Brumby will play at the Sandringham Hotel on Tuesday, May 23 and Tuesday, May 30.