And how do big companies and the power of marketing relate to RUATW? Tell me what folk singers do wrong mixing with big companies?

Do you seriously believe it was clever marketing to get born in a hot bed of traditional music like the North East? To parents who are steeped in folk music? To go to loads of festivals when they were younger? To perform with rapper and clog teams when younger? To do festival and clubs as a duo for little return? etc. etc.....I booked them in 2003 and they were not with EMI then. They were with Adrian and they were starting to get well-known before that.

They were a success before EMI - that's how they are on their second record. The EMI thing is about distribution - clearly they will then fall in with publicity - why is this is so wrong?

Thirdly, this sort of thing works in the pop world hence the dozens of overnight successes who then disappear - it does not work in the folk world - which is why you rarely see it.

If you sincerely believe RUATW are a product of marketing you are seriously mistaken. And if you don't why are you banging on about it?

Dave Eyre