What do you recall of your previous appearance at the tiny, fairy-lit Band Room in August, 2008?

“I remember that the North York Moors is a very beautiful place. The venue is really enjoyable. Last year the crowd was warm and really receptive and the hospitality was great.

We’re hoping nothing’s changed.”

Will tonight’s band line-up be different?

“Nope. Same guys [Jerry Miller, guitars, Jason Beek drums, John Sciascia, upright bass], just some new material.

Just how special is Jerry Miller’s guitar playing!

“He’s amazing. He can play anything. I want him to get all the appreciation he deserves, because so far he’s somewhat of an unsung hero.”

What were the first records you heard and fell in love with?

“When I was about 15, Dylan’s Bootleg Series came out, and my father bought it on tape. We went on a long road trip through Montana and Wyoming and he played the tapes non-stop.

It really sank in and launched my love for folk music. Then I found out he had a vinyl collection gathering dust in the garage. From a bunch of mouldy, warped cardboard boxes I pulled out records of Howlin’ Wolf, Mississippi John Hurt, other Dylan records… bought myself a little turntable, and I’ve been listening to them ever since.”

So that’s why your music spans country, folk, vintage R&B, Midwestern swing, US garage, Chicago blues, Fifties rockabilly and Sixties rock’n’roll?

“There’s a lot of styles of music that I love equally and I come from all of them. For this record, I had a clear sense of a sound I wanted to hear, and somehow I was able to communicate that to the band. That’s rare for me... I usually just let the song go, but these songs were telling me they had to be done a certain way.

“Since the Sixties folk revival, there has been this fear of rock. If people define you as a folk musician, it’s somehow scandalous to play with drums and electric guitars. It’s thought of as selling out or being commercial but, to me, it’s all folk music.”

You really seem to have found your feet with your latest album.<

“I’m not really sure, to be honest. Our new record, Sea Of Tears, is our third one and each time we’ve gone into the studio I just felt like I was trying to do what felt right to me at the time. I think I’m often the last person to notice subtle things about myself. I’m busy thinking about other things, I guess.”

How do you pull off that combination of old country and fresh but timeless sentiment Fading Memory (a song Elvis Costello would kill for)?

“Thanks for the compliment. I think the thing I’ve had to learn is that it’s all right for me to throw songs away that I’ve written. I used to feel like a failure if I wrote a song and ended up not liking it. There’s a fine line between using your inner critic to your advantage and letting your inner critic beat you up too much. I try to just ask myself, ‘What would I like to hear someone singing?’.”

What Dylan cover will you be playing at The Band Room, in keeping with promoter Nigel Burnham’s tradition?

“We’ve been known to play two Dylan songs: Walkin’ Down The Line, which we included on our second record, Letters From Sinners And Strangers, and Dirt Road Blues, which is one of only a couple of songs our drummer Jason sings with this band. It will probably be one of those, since those are the ones we already know and love. Or maybe both!”

• Eilen Jewell plays The Band Room, Low Mill, Farndale, near Kirkbymoorside, tonight at 7.30pm. For tickets, phone 01751 432900 or book at thebandroom.co.uk

Eilen’s album Sea Of Tears is out on Signature Sounds Recordings.