Kate Rusby

Kate Rusby is one of the most popular young folk singers of traditional English folk songs. She was at the centre of the folk revival in the 1990s which occurred with the coming of age of the children of those who were part of the 60s folk revival. Rusby first came to the attention of the folk scene through her duets with Kathryn Roberts, which lead to her becoming a founding member of the group Equation, which has included Seth Lakeman and Cara Dillon. Rusby left Equation to follow a more traditional direction and, in 1997, released her debut solo album Hourglass produced by Scottish fiddler John McCusker (who Rusby was married to for some time). After a stint with all female folk group The Poozies, Rusby recorded Sleepless which earned her a Mercury Music Prize nomination and the BBC Folk Award for Best Album and Best Folk Singer. Rusby continues to release albums mixing traditional and self-penned songs on her own Pure Records, winning fans as diverse as Graham Coxon (who provided the illustration for her album The Girl Who Couldn't Fly) and collaborator Ronan Keating.