LAURA Cortese & The Dance Cards are one of the busiest and most popular bands on the roots music circuit.

And they are heading for Selkirk next month.

Following their outstanding success at the 2016 Shetland Folk Festival, where they were hailed by many as one of the highlights of the event, Laura was back over again for a hectic round of collaborative work at this year’s Celtic Connections, to launch her solo album, All In Always.

They were then back in the UK from their base in Boston, again as one of the main visiting acts at Orkney Folk Festival.

Mhari Pottinger, who is one of the main movers and shakers when it comes to putting the Shetland line-up together each year, described them as “utterly, utterly sublime!”

When Laura and the girls toured the UK last year, respected music writer David Innes, submitting his Best of The Year list at Rock ‘n’ Reel magazine, declared that they had been his “most memorable gig” of the past 12 months, saying they “swung and rocked with constraint-free exuberance, tugging at and capturing the hearts of everyone”.

Now, they are back in the UK once more and music lovers in the Borders will get a chance to see how good they are for themselves when they arrive for a performance at The Haining to help with ongoing fund-raising efforts there.

The four-piece will also be one of the main visiting attractions at the big SPREE Festival in Paisley, this time around and have added with a few more dates before heading for work in Scandinavia.

Laura loves Scotland and would happily settle here if she got the chance.

She said: "I have only been through the Borders very fleetingly and I knew it was somewhere very special.

"We are very happy to get involved with this project.

"Our UK agent comes from Selkirk and is passionate about the place. He has told us it's a beautiful town. We are so glad we are going to get the chance to spend some time there."

This latest visit coincides with the release of the band's new album which is already winning them even more media exposure.

John Nichol, one of the Haining Volunteers who are organising the event as part of an ongoing fund-raising campaign, said: “We are keen for the Haining to be a regular venue for live performances by touring artistes, and hopefully see these events bringing in additional cash to continue the work being done.

“It certainly all fits with Andrew Nimmo Smith's wish that the Haining should become a centre for arts and culture.”

Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards play The Haining on Friday, October 13. Doors open at 7.30pm with the band due on stage at 8pm. Tickets, priced at £12.50, are available from The Scott’s Selkirk Shop