THEY'VE often been compared to Mumford and Sons, but far from jumping on the current folksy band wagon, The Wishbones started their love affair with roots music back in 2007.

Coming from Bournemouth, via college in Plymouth, they were influenced by the folklore that surrounded them in their native New Forest.

Think of the mighty oaks that supplied timber for Nelson's fleet, and Alice Liddell, the inspiration for Alice In Wonderland who is buried in a local churchyard.

Last month they released their third album, Forever Bound, which demonstrates just how far they have come in the past five years.

Lead singer/banjo player Sam Burdekin explains: "Our first album was recorded as a five piece, our second as a four-piece and then after that our drummer left, and there are just the three of us, so we have moved right away from the rocky rootsy stuff."

In fact they've taken the completely opposite musical route to Wille and the Bandits, who happen to hail from the same village and have been a huge source of inspiration in the past.

"Wille and the guys have gone heavier and more psychedelic but we decided to go in a more acoustic direction.

"Having done a music degree I learned the structure of writing songs in a pop sense, so I guess what we are doing now is creating pop songs with a blue grass vibe."

With Phil Howell on slide guitar, the lack of a drummer has necessitated an instrumental revamp to create a rhythm section, and bass player Alex Tilley swapped his electric bass for an upright, while the beat is provided by a kick drum inside a suitcase.

"To start with it was a space-saving temporary solution that had the double benefit of being practical for carrying stuff. But actually it's proved it's worth and has become something of a mascot for the band. We call it Lee."

Recorded at Animal Farm in London and Sawmills in Cornwall, the album is less about capturing the live sound and more focussed melodically, with Stony Ground arguably being the stand out track.

"It's our most commercial song, upbeat with meaningful lyrics – about the strain of being in a relationship when you're gigging four or five nights a week! It's very country influenced but with an indie rock twist."

That they are in such demand for live shows, speaks volumes for the quality of their music and their ability to entertain.

They have a huge following in the South West, where they perform everywhere from pubs and clubs to bigger music venues and are starting to pick up regular gigs in Brighton and London as well.

"We're lucky that the instruments we play look and sound interesting and so grab attention – and although we play mostly our own stuff, we're not averse to playing covers to hook people in.

"We do blue grass versions of familiar tunes and it's fun to watch people's reaction to see at what point they recognise it."

The Wishbones are back to play one of their favourite venues, The Rod and Line, Tideford, tomorrow night. Find out more and listen to their tunes at www.thewishbones.co.uk.