Twins peak with music nomination

The pair - who have been playing as a duo since 2006 - got the news that they had been nominated while on the road supporting The Jeff & Vida Band.

"We really didn't expect it," said Laura.

"We entered because we thought it would be the last year we could enter but we really didn't think we 'd get through."

They are on a shortlist of 11 acts and have to appear before a judging panel in Stratford on Avon in mid-October.

"It would be a great way of raising our profile.

"We have to do an eight-minute set and we're still deciding what we should play."

The finals will be in December this year and the winners will be announced via Mike Harding's folk radio show on Radio 2, winning them national airplay and kudos from a major folk outlet.

Together the sisters have already performed at major festivals in the Netherlands, Canada and Austria as well as at Glastonbury and Sidmouth.

And in 2007 they won the South West Buskers and Street Entertainers Competition.

"It's all very exciting and the music is the thing at the moment.

"But if it does fail we'd both do landscape and garden design, something completely different," said Laura.