Scottish Borders based singer-songwriter Karine Polwart established herself at the forefront of the UK folk-roots scene after scooping prizes for “Best Album”, “Best Original Song” and the “Horizon Award” for Best Emerging Artist at the UK-wide BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2005. She combines the economy and universality of the folk storytelling tradition with a probing intellect, compassionate lyricism and the kind of lyrical attention to uncertainty you’d expect from someone with a Masters degree in philosophical inquiry. Her disturbing tales of twentieth century genocide, TV executions and sex trafficking betray her background as an anti-violence and children’s rights campaigner. But this dark streak is offset by wistful musings upon the beauty of the night sky, comic tales of lovelorn gas installers and wry observations on the links between cosmetic dentistry and global domination. Indeed her pervasive sense of hope and possibility prove she’s a writer and musician who knows both the best and the worst that the world has to offer. By telling stories, painting pictures and posing questions, Karine succeeds in her aim to communicate profoundly personal and quietly political messages without posturing and with plenty of room for individual interpretation. Her humanity and sense of justice, as well as her warmth and wit, shine through. She says, “The thing I love most of all about writing songs is the meanings they take on for people who hear them. More than anything else I want to move people or make them think. And I’m really humbled by the stories they tell me about their lives and experiences as a result.” Karine's next album "Scribbled in Chalk" will be released on Glasgow's Shoeshine label on April 10th 2006. It will feature all three mvine listed tracks, seven more songs and some gorgeous original artwork too. Karine wasn't born in California (although the original California is in her home county of Stirlingshire) and, as a result, she will be singing pretty much how she speaks. No big deal, it's just the way she sounds. Thanks for your interest and comments so far.