TO WIN the Best Duo category at the 2015 BBC Folk Awards is quite an achievement at any stage of an artists’ career.

But just two years prior to this accolade Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker were virtually unknown on the folk scene.

Now signed to Rough Trade Records, Josienne and Ben will are currently touring extensively in the UK .

Following the release of their first two albums One Light Is Gone and The Seas Are Deep, interest began to grow.

But it’s their latest album that has drawn the most attention and plaudits – earning five star reviews across the board. Entirely self-financed, self-produced, self-arranged and released on the Folk Room label they co-run, 2015’s Nothing Can Bring Back The Hour was a hugely ambitious, uncompromised realisation of everything Josienne and Ben had planned when they met six years ago.

While much of their music is characterised by lush chamber ensemble orchestrations, what truly sets them apart is the combination of Josienne’s exquisitely nuanced, emotionally affecting voice and Ben’s intricately expressive, adroit guitar technique.

This self-deprecating humour is key to their much-loved live shows. Given Josienne’s often devastatingly sad and poetic lyrics, and the frequently death and doom-laden nature of the old songs they interpret, she feels it’s only fair to lighten the mood.

The misery, mirth and sheer beauty of their performances has taken them to such auspicious stages as Cambridge Folk Festival, Bristol’s Colston Hall and London’s Purcell Rooms, a far cry from the pub back rooms where they began.

The way this duo inhabit songs that are centuries old, making them personal and present again, and their gift for pricking the heart with tales of everyday love and loss makes the music of Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker a rare and precious thing.

Catch them at Acapela Studio, Pentrych, Cardiff on May 7.

Andy Howells recently put questions to the pair.

How did you both get into music?

Ben - I started playing classical guitar when I was 7 but got into electric guitar and guitar bands in general in my teens. When I met Josienne I started listening to people like Martin Simpson, Pierre Bensusan, John Reborn, and Nick Jones and this has really influenced my approach and style of playing.

Josienne - I sang at school, in choirs and school productions. As I got older I got interested in song writing and although I tried classical singing, I didn’t enjoy it.

Ultimately you both decided to collaborate what was the story behind that?

Josienne - Ben was playing electric guitar in and Indie band. A mutual friend of ours was the sound engineer for their record. Ben went over to pick up the audio files and had a go on his Martin acoustic guitar. He said ‘If you can play acoustic guitar like that, what are you doing playing in that band?’ He knew I was looking for a guitarist and introduced us and here we are - 6 years on.

How have things changed since you won the BBC Folk Award?

Josienne - It’s helped us in that bookings have gone up and more people have heard of us. Actually, I think performing on the night (which was broadcast live on Radio 2 and on the iPlayer) probably helped more than winning the award itself because lots of people tell us that’s where they first saw us play.

What's been your best live experience?

Josienne - Playing Stage 2 at Cambridge Folk Festival last year in front of several thousand people was really special.

Can you tell us about your latest album?

Josienne - Nothing Can Bring Back The Hour came out in October 2014 and we’ve just finished recording our new album which is coming out on Rough Trade Records this autumn. We’re really excited about that and spent a week in Rockfield Studios in Wales with a great bunch of musicians. We’re really excited about that.

What can people expect from your forthcoming Cardiff show?

Josienne - It will be just Ben and I, playing songs from all of our albums and a few new ones too.

What else will you be doing this year – anywhere we can look out for you?

Josienne - we’re touring the UK in May and June. We’re playing a few festivals including Ely, Towersey, Boom Town Fair and End of The Road. We will be back out again in the autumn when the album comes out.

Where can people find out more about you and your music?

www.josienneandben.com twitter @josienneandben facebook - Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker

Visit /www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/FEMLLG for booking details