Not sure I can comment on the "purity" of her music Polly, but you do raise some very interesting points.

On those points on which I think I can comment:

Simplicity is often the difficult option, and less is often more!

I don't personally have a problem with the Rusby clan acting as a team, or benefiting from her father's business-mind. Working with a team of people is so much better than trying to act alone. I have run my own business for 18 years, having never been in permanent employment at any stage of my career, but 18 years in the IT business does nothing to prepare you for how difficult it is to make a living from "off-mainstream" music!

The "sameness" of the music is an issue for sure. Maybe another way of putting it is to say that there is an unmistakable "Rusby style". I am not sure I would listen to multiple Kate Rusby albums in a row, but I can say the same about Gillian Welch (another of my Heroines).

I've recently been helping Julie Ellison with some marketing, gig getting, live sound and finishing off the first album (and having a ball doing so I should add).   We're already talking about the second album and I have a strong sense that it should have a different feel to the first. Quite how we do that and still establish a Julie Ellison "signature" will be one of the more interesting challenges.

Which has sent my mind off working on some of those ....

Thanks for a really interesting discussion (more of the same please!)

Best regards
John Robinson
http://www.JulieEllison.co.uk