ON a last-minute British tour this week, Winter are playing London, Leighton Buzzard and… Low Mill. The Band Room’s favourite Swedes return there tomorrow, two days head of the release of a new album by Anna-Lena Winter and her Americana, country, folk and blues band.

Winter will incorporate all 11 songs from A Matter Of Time in the set list, all of them on the theme of love “in its different shapes and guises”: the good, the bad, the lust and the longing.

“It wasn’t deliberate. I didn’t realise it was an album about love until after the song order was set, and maybe it was something I wasn’t aware of in the sessions,” says Anna-Lena.

“They’re not connected from one to 11; it’s more like they stand for themselves and the order is more a feeling thing to get a nice balance between the listener and the band.”

Nevertheless, Anna-Lena, why did your write so many songs on the most popular theme of all? “I don’t know, but my thought is that love is what life is all about: the essence of everything. It confuses us; it makes us happy; it breaks our hearts; sometimes it kills you,” she says.

“When you speak about love, the first thought is that it’s between two adults, but there are so many other types of love: for your kids, for your parents, or the love that you don’t get, when the only thing someone wants or asks for is love, but they won’t get it because of circumstances.”

Love is the “most ordinary” theme for a writer, suggests Anna-Lena.

“It’s not like science fiction,” she says. “And writing about it doesn’t mean that you have to be happy in love. Love is all around us, whether you like or not or are searching for it.”

Songs from past Winter albums will feature in tomorrow’s set, as will a Bob Dylan cover: a time-honoured custom of promoter Nigel Burnham’s gigs at The Band Room.

“Thank you so much for reminding me; I think we did Silvio last time. We’re not a covers band – though we usually play Lucinda Williams’ Joy and Can’t Let Go – so I’ll have to come up with something,” says Anna-Lena.

“Sometimes I do solo gigs, and I’ve done a couple of Dylan songs, like All Along The Watchtower. Maybe I could mention that one to the band and see what they say…”

Winter play The Band Room, Low Mill, Farndale, near Kirkbymoorside, tomorrow, 7.30pm. Tickets update: a few remain available on 01751 433201 or thebandroom.co.uk

New album A Matter Of Time will be released on East Central One on Monday.