Alela Diane
Alela Diane managed to sneak in under our radar so we never really picked up on her before she was booked to play Cambridge. She's part of the nu-folk, psyche-folk scene and releasing over here on Rough Trade.
A hard touring schedule has seen her establishing her name, by taking up support slots with the likes and The Decemberists, Iron And Wine and Vashti Bunyan, amongst others.
Self taught on guitar, her dad knew his way around a mandolin and music has played an important part in her upbringing. Her self released debut album came out of her father's studio, if you can find a copy of the original release with the homemade sleeve, you won't have just unearthed a musical gem.
I've not heard a lot of her songs, but she knows how to use words to make an impact. Her sound is quite delicate and I'm interested in how well she can get it to transfer to a bigger stage and still keep the atmosphere of the piece. Not that it can't be done, it can produce a really intimate set.