Just A Quickie with... Barnsley folk singer Kate Rusby.

Kate, in the past in York, you have performed at the Black Swan Folk Club and National Centre for Early Music. What's prompted the move to the Barbican? Advance sales of 650 must be one good reason. Any others?

"Well it's the only reason really. Each time we play in York more and more people want to come to concerts and I always feel so bad that people drive to come see us play and they can't get in, so gradually we have moved up to bigger venues. Last year we did two nights at the Early Music Centre, which holds 200 people, and by two weeks before the gig this time 250 more people had bought tickets, so there'll probably be near 1,000 people there on the night, which is mad, mad, mad!

"It's a very nice problem to have, but at the back of my mind I have this theory that they think they've booked to see Tina Turner or someone like that, and what a shock they'll get when we stroll out and start playing folk music at them."

The tour publicity mentions the likelihood of special guests at the York gig. Who will they be and why?

"We did a Kate Rusby and Friends gig recently at the Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow and it was great fun to do, so we thought we would do it again but this time it's on a smaller scale. The band with me is: myself, John McCusker, Andy Cutting and Kris Dreever, and our special guests are Eddi Reader, who is such a lovely singer, and fellow Barnsley man Dave Burland, who I have been a fan of since I was in the cradle. He is amazing. It's so nice to get to sing with other people, especially people who I admire so much."

Will there be any new songs for the new tour?

"Yes, there are but I'm not gonna reveal what, cos it will spoil it."

Does that mean there are plans to record a new record this year?

"Underneath The Stars only came out in September, and the DVD will be out soon, then we are doing two big tours this year and some festivals as well, so I think you'll agree that's plenty of Kate Rusby for one year, or people will be sick of the sight of me. So I'm gonna watch telly instead of making a record this year."

You mention your imminent debut DVD, Live From Leeds. DVDs now seem to be as much a part of the music business as albums. Do you agree?

"Not really, well not in the folk scene. Making that DVD of ours we found out just how much it costs to make something like that, which is vast amounts compared to a CD. We did ours in conjunction with a company called Smooth Operations so the cost was shared, but it was still scary."

Apart from last September's concert at the Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, what else will be on the DVD?

"There are lots of extra bits and pieces on there, like various interviews, including one with Andy Kershaw the radio presenter. There is a tour diary that is behind-the-scenes kind of stuff, there's an acoustic session from our studio, and a couple of hidden things that I will leave people to find."

You were nominated in four categories for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards last month. How did you fare?

"Yes I was up for four, but didn't actually win any. I presented the award for Best Folk Club, which was won by The Rockingham Arms; it's just up the road from me and is a fantastic club so it was a real honour. It was so lovely to see so many musicians who we know all in one room."

Talking of Radio 2, the station play-listed the title track off Underneath The Stars last month, without it being released as a single. How come?

"It was pressed as a single but not for public release, only for promotional purposes, and for whatever reason it fitted what the playlist panel were looking for at the time. So it was on the A playlist for three weeks which is amazing considering it's folk music. I think we are still in shock."

York has played its part in your career. Ten years ago, the York label Fat Cat Records released an album by the name of Intuition that featured your good self. What do you remember of that record?

"It was one of the first recordings I had done, so the thing I most remember is nerves."

Kate Rusby, York Barbican Centre, March 6, 8pm. Tickets: £16, £14 students and seniors; ring 01904 656688.

Charles Hutchinson

Updated: 15:19 Thursday, March 04, 2004