This folk duo from Watford, are just one of the acts involved in Watford Colosseum’s Lobby Live Initiative.

Alison Raymond, 60, and Kim Olyett, 47, will perform before The Simon and Garfunkel Story on Thursday, June 18. Ahead of their gig, Warp and Weft spoke to Rosy Moorhead about folk music, their fans and song writing.

First of all, who plays what?

Alison plays piano, guitar and vocals, and Kim is a vocalist.

When and where did you meet?

At Watford Folk Club.

What is the story behind the sound?

Our sound is traditional folk augmented by original material in traditional styles.

Who are your influences?

Alison: I would say June Tabor, Chris While, Bella Hardy, Anais Mitchell and Jefferson Hamer, but influences change.

Kim: I grew up listening to The Jam and Kirsty Macoll and love songs that tell a story.

What are your fans like?

In folk music you don’t so much have fans as fellow travellers exploring the same rich seam of traditional music and we are lucky to have lots of these kind friends.

How do you write your songs? What’s the process?

Songs ‘grow’. Maybe an event or a story triggers an idea. First drafts always have too many words so a massive edit is inevitable. Less is more applies when lyric writing.

Has Watford made it into any of your songs?

Yes, Kim has written a song about the Fig Tree Tomb in St Mary’s Church. She recently performed at the church with the school choir (Kim is a teacher in a Watford school).

When did you first start performing your own music?

Alison: I had a guitar and then I acquired an old accordion and taught myself to play. My first performances were in the folk clubs of Kent in the 1960s and then in country dance bands in the 1970s.

Kim: I came from a family that listened to rather than played music, I started performing traditional songs as well as my own music in about 2008.

What was the first album you ever bought?

Alison: Basket of Light, by Pentangle.

Kim: I think it was probably Sound Affects by The Jam or it could have been Dare by The Human League.

Where can we see you live?

The Colosseum, Lobby Live; St Albans Folk Festival in the Old Court Room on Saturday, June 27; Watford Live on Sunday, July 5; and almost any Friday at Watford Folk Club.