WHEN Oliver Knight decided to take a break from from music last year, singer Marry Waterson suddenly needed a new folk foil.

"I don’t play an instrument, my tunes are sung into existence," says Marry, who is part of the Waterson folk conclave at Robin Hood's Bay, living a field away from Martin Carthy and Norma Waterson's house.

Step forward David A. Jaycock, a mutual friend and collaborator of James Yorkston, who made a timely approach to see if she would be interested in working together.

David was struck by the character and warmth of Marry’s singing when seeing her performing with Yorkston in 2009. “It was earthy, dreamlike, warm, powerful and jagged," he said. "It had the capacity to be both melancholic and joyful, and could tell a story – of course Marry Waterson could tell a story.”

From Jaycock's initial contact has emerged Two Wolves, the album written together, recorded in May with guest musicians and released last Friday by Waterson and Jaycock ahead of their York concert on Wednesday at The Basement, City Screen.

"It was the equivalent of internet dating," says Marry, recalling how the Waterson-Jaycock partnership began. "We met through a co-collaboration with James Yorkston. I'd co-written Yolk Yellow Legged with James; David re-mixed it for James's album [I Was A Cat From A Book]; I liked it, and David said, 'Well, do you want to do an album together?'.

"He sent me a tune, the one that became the first song on the album [Sing Me Into Your Tune], and it was so exciting that I sent him the lyrics back that night."

Further musical correspondence ensued by email and phone. "I don't play an instrument, so instead I'd send David melodies by singing them into my phone and sending them over," says Marry, who is the daughter of folk luminary Lal Waterson.

"David and I passed things backwards and forwards for a couple of years; it wasn't one of those things that was going to get done quickly, but after we had enough material, that's when Neill MacColl and Kate St John became involved as producers.

"Kate had musically directed the Bright Phoebus project I was part of, and I've worked with Neill on the Ewan MacColl tribute album Joy Of Living, singing on The Exile Song. They're both just such wonderful musicians, who haven't gone in and changed anything radically but just added to the record. They're lovely people, they're very talented, they have impeccable taste and their touch is so light."

The album title is derived from a track of the same name, inspired by a Native Indian legend. "It says that what you think about, what you dwell on, will affect your future behaviour; if you feel happy, it will affect things in a good way; if you're negative, it will have an adverse effect," says Marry.

"And of course with me and David making the record, there are two wolves involved in the project!"

Marry Waterson and David A. Jaycock play The Basement, City Screen, York, Wednesday, 8pm doors. Box office: thebasementyork.co.uk

Did you know?

With every pair of tickets bought for Wednesday's concert, you will receive a Two Wolves album, with a choice of CD or vinyl, to be picked up on the night.