CARA Dillon opens her spring tour at Pocklington Arts Centre on Thursday, buoyed by her latest award success.

The Dungiven folk singer won the Best Irish Female Singer category at the Irish Meteor Awards last month, overcoming fellow nominees Sinead O'Connor, Moya Brennan and Roisin Murphy.

Dillon's star has been in the ascendancy since she and partner Sam Lakeman baled out of Equation, tired of twiddling their thumbs, tied to a record company that was intent on turning them into pop stars.

A melancholy self-titled album of folk songs in 2001 led to awards for best new act and traditional track of the year for Black Is The Colour at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Last autumn, Dillon released her second album, Sweet Liberty, recorded with Lakeman at their home studio in Somerset, and the track Everywhere is at present receiving radio play.

The album takes its title from The Emigrant's Farewell, the keynote final track that captures the essence of Dillon's interpretation of traditional songs. There are five original Dillon-Lakeman songs too, as well as Cara's version of There Were Roses, Tommy Sands's narrative about the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

"People may have been surprised because I've never done anything political before, but I feel so strongly about peace and agree with the essence of that song so much I felt confident about committing to it," she says.

Dillon's training ground had been dark pub rooms at 'fleadhs', where she remembers listening to traditional singers such as Paddy Tunney and Rosin White, who were both regular visitors to Dungiven. At 14, she won the All Ireland Traditional Singing trophy and a year later she joined her first band, Oige, and she was all set for university until a call out of the blue in 1995 invited her to replace Kate Rusby in Equation.

Now she has her own six-piece band on tour. "I'm very lucky. I'm able to play the type of music I love with great musicians and we're having a lot of fun... You can't ask for much more than that," says Cara.

Around 90 tickets are still available for Thursday's 8pm concert, priced £12.50, concessions £11. Box office: 01759 301547.

Updated: 09:01 Friday, April 02, 2004