No Doubt's platinum-haired frontwoman, Gwen Stefani, has admitted that the four-year hiatus from music caused her to struggle with getting back into the creative mindset.

In a new interview with the October edition of Elle magazine in the UK, the 'Settle Down' songstress explained that she suffered from the dreaded "writers block" and found it difficult to concentrate on her music career while being a mother to her two sons:

"It was horrible. I felt really hormonal, I felt really bad about myself. I couldn’t write. I was nursing and I had a toddler on tour; it was insane."

She added that despite going on tour with the intention that being actively involved in the industry again might reignite her creative spark, it didn't have the desired effect: "I don’t know how I thought that was going to get me inspired or recharge my battery. Because it didn’t."

No Doubt's comeback single, 'Settle Down', is out today (September 17) and you can watch the official video for the track below: