DEALING with national fame and fortune would prove to be an arduous task for most people – especially with the prospect of online trolls taking aim at will.

Over the last 18 months or so Stevie McCrorie has been face-to-face with some of the very worst aspects of being in the public eye, with his journey from TV star back to the day job well-documented and offered up to ridicule and conjecture.

More often than not the Alva singer is able to shrug off the negativity, but for him there is always one voice that nit-picks more than others: His own.

Stevie is determined to deliver up a follow-up album to Big World, only this time on his own terms and with deference to no-one.

“The album is going to be a long process I feel,” he says. “At the moment, I have lots of ideas but there’s always something.

“I am a bit of a perfectionist; and I’m always looking at changes to something.

“I’ve been writing away, but I’m still trying to find my sound. My last album was really directed and trying to get playlisted on the radio, but that’s not really me.

“This time, as I’ve said before, the new album is going to be a wee bit more raw.”

While he continues to experiment musically, Stevie has had a lot of time to reflect on his experiences within the music industry and of the limelight.

All in all, it would be fair to say it left him with a sour taste in his mouth – a feeling that may well provide the inspiration for his upcoming releases.

Going back to work with the fire service may well have seemed a step backwards, but Stevie feels it was always his intention to return.

Nevertheless, he has continued to build his fanbase and is adamant his journey after The Voice has been laden with achievements.

He explains: “I’ve done a lot since going back to the fire service, but a lot of people don’t want to hear that.

“Some just see it or hear and think ‘Oh, well’. I reckon there will be a lot of people who think I am still represented by an agent or something like that.

“Since The Voice, I’ve played T in the Park, been on tour, sold out King Tut’s and Oran Mor as well as Alloa Town Hall – I think most musicians out there would be delighted with that.”

That is not to say Stevie does not maintain a fair legion of respectful fans, those who are eagerly awaiting new material in the future.

And that kind of quiet loyalty is something the singer seems genuinely grateful for, as opposed to the disposable acclaim he would have experienced over the last 18 months.

He says: “That whole thing was never my thing. Fame is completely wasted on me.

“I’m a singer and a song-writer; not a celebrity. I would rather someone come up to me and say: ‘Stevie, I like your song’, instead of ‘Stevie, I love you, I’ve seen you on the tele’.”

Stevie added: “I’ve got to be honest, before going on the show I was actually against all that kind of stuff. It was never for me – I had a whole punk-rock ethos.

“And afterwards, there was a part of me that wished I hadn’t done it. Obviously, when I look back now I am glad, though.

“That being said there is still a lot of idiots on TV today getting exposure and stopping real musicians from having their music heard.”

As the summer ticks on, Stevie will venture once more into the festival scene with sets at Party at the Palace in Linlithgow this weekend, followed by an appearance at Midstock, Dalkeith, next month.

“It’s always good to play to a big crowd like that, especially as you are able to reach people that have never seen you before," he added.

“I think there will be a lot of people out there who have maybe heard of me, but not heard me play. And I know if they hear me they will like me.”

After the main stage applause across the country, there may be the possibility of another show at Alloa Town Hall, but until then it will be some more long hours in the recording studio – so long as he can keep out of his own head.

Stevie concludes: “It has been hard for me over the last year and half, but the past is the past.

“I’ve always been my own worst critic; I’m always putting myself down. I know I need to push past that and be a little more positive.

“That’s what I am trying to do. The only person I have to keep happy now is myself.”

Stevie has been given a 3.15pm slot this Saturday with Party at the Palace organisers recently announcing the day is a sell out.

There are tickets still available for the Sunday - featuring Razorlight, Hipsway and headliner Amy MacDonald.

Those attending the weekend are advised to check the Party at the Palace Facebook page for road diversions and travel tips.