TNL: Auka

Auka play at Headingley Enterprise and Arts Centre on Tuesday 20 October, their music built around Irish flute and whistles, acoustic guitar and double bass. It's a small ensemble, and the sound is original folk melodies that swell from moments of delicate calm to frenetic energy, drawing inspiration from the melodies and rhythms of the natural world. They describe it as music that defies easy categorisation, and that's a fair way to put it — the flute and whistles carry the lead, with the guitar and double bass holding the floor beneath.

Their name comes from an Old Norse word meaning 'to grow or augment', a term they say sums up their organic approach: melodies that start quiet and build. The set will be their own original material, so it's a night of their own writing rather than covers or traditional arrangements. If you're into folk, it's the kind that doesn't stay in one place for long, moving from the stiller, more atmospheric bits to the faster, more energetic ones.

The gig is at HEART on Bennett Road in Headingley, LS6 3HN. Doors open at 19:00 and the music starts at 19:15, so you've got a bit of time to get settled before they kick off. It runs until 21:30, making it a full evening's music. Advance tickets are £8, with a £7 concession for students and the unwaged; if you leave it until the night, it's £10.