GROWING up in the mysterious wilds of Dartmoor has clearly had a strong effect on young violinist Seth Lakeman.

With such a bleak yet wonderfully evocative backdrop, it was bound to stir a creative spark.

So much so that the likeable songwriter’s major label debut, Kitty Jay, received its first hearing at the area’s infamous high security prison.

As with the late great Johnny Cash, playing to an audience of inmates was to be one of his most memorable experiences.

"I just thought it would be a great place to launch the album as it was very much about Dartmoor as a place.

"It went really well though I didn’t really think of it as being like Johnny Cash. I saw the film Walk The Line, which was great, but made me realise how weird playing a prison was," said the down-to-earth 28 year old.

The record received a prestigious Mercury Prize nomination last year alongside the likes of the Kaiser Chiefs, which gave his music vital exposure.

His vibrant fusion of folk and pop had memorably been put together in his brother’s small studio for a meagre budget of around £300.

It certainly made a refreshing change from your average corporate-backed pop recordings, which typically have a black hole of finance ploughed into lavish production values.

"We couldn’t record between 3 and 4 at the studios as that’s when the neighbouring schoolchildren were let out and were so noisy, there are also other sounds on the record like passing tractors and birds song outside.

"I remember I got the call from my PR company telling me about the Mercury nomination. I was stuck on the M5 with my broken down car. But things were about to get a whole lot better!"

Life before his rise to the limelight had been no-less eventful. Both his father and mother are musicians and during his youth Seth often joined in with his two elder brothers who had a strong interest in guitar playing.

The sounds of songwriting luminaries such as Christy Moore, Richard Thompson and Randy Newman were among his earliest influences.

He was to taste his first hint of fame in a band called Equations alongside fellow folk stars Cara Dillon and Kate Rusby which he felt had offered a valuable learning curve.

With his dad being a journalist on the Daily Mirror, he developed an interest in storytelling, which forms a strong element of his music.

His latest album Freedom Fields is shot through with a edge of romanticism, mixing balladry with wistful tales of a bygone age.

There are darker moments as with The Colliers, recalling a tragic incident at a local mining pit in which 100’s of people lost their lives.

"Freedom fields was a 17th century battle in which the People of Plymouth fought off the Royalists, which was a real turning point in history.

"It's something that’s important to us round here and we all learned about it at school, so thought I’d write about it and imagine what it would like to be a soldier then."

Seth’s distinctive music has been much in demand and a host of gigs beckon this summer, including the V Festival.

Enthused by the present folk scene, he believed there is plenty of young talent out there.

"When I first started playing at 15, most people were trying to be DJs, but it now seems to be cool to be playing acoustic guitar. Playing Broadstairs Folk week should be cool, I have heard a lot about it and it should be fun."

Seth Lakeman plays Broadstairs Folk Festival on Thursday, August 17. For ticket details see www.braodstairsfolkweek.org.uk or call 01843 604080.