ON the outside, everything looked rosy for Kathryn Williams.

From a debut album made in her Newcastle flat for £80 and released on her own label, to the Mercury Music Prize nomination for 2000's Little Black Numbers, and plenty more praise for Old Low Light in 2002, Williams appeared to be rising to the stars, albeit quietly.

Q magazine even hailed her as "the first lady of folk".

Then along comes news of an unexpected change of plan. Her fourth album would be a covers' album, not another selection of her own songwriting.

"I suppose I decided to do a covers record to help me fall in love with music again," she said in her album press release.

"The follow-up to Old Low Light was ready to be recorded but I was feeling cynical and I didn't want to take that into the studio with me."

However, speaking to Kathryn in the lead-up to Thursday's gig at Pocklington Arts Centre, it would appear the Relations album has had the desired effect, restoring her humour.

"I haven't played there before. I didn't even know Pocklington Arts Centre existed! That's what is brilliant about doing this tour, going to places I've not done before," she says.

"I wanted to get back to being able to see people's eyes in the audience. It's like the whole point of the new album is to get back to reminding yourself why you like music."

How come she had 'fallen out of love with music'?

"I've never forgotten why I love music but I kind of forgot why I was in the music business. I had begun to believe in the business side: selling records. I thought maybe I had to change to fit in. I had gone as far thinking maybe I should quit. Now I can't believe that, in that I think there should be people who don't fit in," she says.

"That applies to the choices on this album in that they are unique and idiosyncratic - Kurt Cobain, Ivor Cutler, Stephen Malkmus , Mae West - and they're music that makes me feel I belong. Ironically, I don't even like cover versions. I'm always slagging people off, saying 'they don't even write their own songs'. I can't accuse anyone of that any more!"

Kathryn Williams, Pocklington Arts Centre, June 10, 8pm. Tickets: £12.50 on 01759 301547.

Updated: 08:50 Friday, June 04, 2004