If policemen looking young is a sign of advancing age, what are we supposed to make of fresh-faced folk singers?

There’s nothing of the tired old troubadour who has lived a hard life for his music about Sunjay Brayne, but that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t paid his dues.

Sunjay, who headlines a midsummer concert at Hitchin Folk Club on Sunday night along with Alan West & Steve Black, is only 21.

But he has a relaxed and confident manner, vocal style and a mastery of his instrument, and when he performs it’s as if he is sitting down to play music with a group of close friends.

He first picked up the guitar when he was only four years old and he’s hardly put it down since, developing a natural drift across folk and blues that has earned praise from devotees of both genres.

By contrast Alan West and Steve Black can count up more than 50 years of professional performing between them.

For many years Alan has been regarded as having one of the greatest country voices to come out of the UK. His emotional yet informative way of singing a story, has moved many an audience all over the world.

Steve’s background lies in theatre, television and radio although he has performed more than 5,000 live gigs in a globetrotting career.

He has written for many top comedians and has also had numerous plays and rock musicals performed all around the UK, and if that wasn’t enough he is also fast becoming one of the UK’s leading songwriters.

His style fits perfectly with Alan’s unique way of singing and the combination is very potent, serving up a fresh slant on country music

The concert at the club’s familiar Sun Hotel base is a Hitchin Festival summer special and doors open at 7.30pm, with music starting at 8.15pm

Tickets are £12 from the club, or from the Hitchin Initiative office in the Churchyard.

The weekly club programme returns in September – find out who has been booked for the rest of the year online at www.hitchinfolkclub.co.uk.