Florence Welch thinks it's hard for women in the music industry to maintain a normal family life.

The 35-year-old singer believes women in the business face a different set of challenges than their male counterparts.

Florence - who has previously expressed her support for women's rights during concerts - explained: "As an artist, I never actually thought about my gender that much. I just got on with it.

"I was as good as the men and I just went out there and matched them every time.

"But now, thinking about being a woman in my thirties and the future, I suddenly feel this tearing of my identity and my desires.

"To be a performer but also to want a family might not be as simple for me as it is for my male counterparts."

The 'You've Got the Love' hitmaker has previously "modelled" herself on male stars.

But now, she realises there's a distinct difference between herself and some of her music heroes.

She told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: "I had modelled myself almost exclusively on male performers. And for the first time I felt a wall come down between me and my idols, as I have to make decisions they did not."

Meanwhile, Florence previously admitted she started drinking at one point in time in order to escape the pressures of fame.

The chart-topping star found fame and success hard to deal with earlier in her career, and she turned to alcohol as a means of coping with the situation.

She said: "That’s when the drinking and the partying exploded, as a way to hide from it. I was drunk a lot of the time, on extra dirty Martinis – my way of drinking three shots at once. I was never interested in a nice glass of wine."

However, Florence eventually realised that she could cope without the alcohol.

She explained: "When I realised I could perform without the booze it was a revelation. There’s discomfort and rage, and the moment when they meet is when you break open. You’re free."