IT'S Changed Days, Same Roots for female folk foursome The Poozies who hit Hampshire with four consecutive dates from next week.

"That's the title of our new CD," says band member Mary McMaster, mistress of the electro-harp. Speaking from her home in Edinburgh, Mary is enthusiastic about the new album.

"This is us coming back properly to the scene. It's our first album for years, and the first one to feature our most recent member, Eilidh Shaw on fiddle.

The Poozies got together in 1990 when Mary, Patsy Seddon, Karen Tweed and Sally Barker thought it was about time the folk scene included an all-female quartet, and combined their talents to play traditional Scottish music.

"It seems like ancient history now," says Mary, "but it was Sally's idea to call us The Poozies, after a Scottish pub called Poozie Nansies frequented by the poet Robbie Burns."

The band soon became regulars on the folk circuit with their double harp, fiddle and accordion line-up, gaining a reputation for their individual instrumental skills, their lilting harmonies, and their sheer physical energy coupled with a decidedly humorous approach.When Sally left the band, Kate Rusby was recruited.

"Kate played on our last album, Infinite Blue, and has gone on to have a spectacularly successful solo career, but we still keep in touch.

"We folk artists are very intertwined. In fact, Patsy and I also perform as a harp duo called Sileas, and I'm also in another band called Shine."

The inclusion of Eilidh Shaw in the band's line-up has seen a move towards more instrumentals and fewer songs in The Poozies' set. "We've definitely changed over the years," admits Mary. "We started off as a song-based band, but we are now more instrumental. We probably only do two actual songs in our set now.

"Since Eilidh joined us it's been a natural progression. Although she has a beautiful voice, and also plays in another band, Harem Scarem - they're kind of a young Poozies - Eilidh is primarily a fiddle player, and her beautiful playing has added a new dimension to the band."

The musical chemistry between Karen and Eilidh is now a particularly successful combination with Karen's exquisite accordion and Eilidh's delicate fiddle interweaving to create some inspired harmonies.

The Poozies have also broadened their horizons geographically, picking up musical influences in different countries when on tour. "Although a lot of our set is traditional Scottish music, we also have Irish, Swedish and French music in our set at the moment, both traditional and contemporary.

"Anything goes really. If we like something we do our own arrangement and rehearse it together, and put it in the act." Many musicians complain that the downside of the profession is the constant travelling, but Mary takes an upbeat view of the many miles she, Patsy, Eilidh and Karen cover each year.

"Travelling is one of the joys of being a musician. I love seeing new places all the time - it's an adventure.

The Poozies play the Portico Theatre in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight on 18 September (box office: 01983 730930), Forest Arts Centre, New Milton on 19 September (01425 612393) Ashcroft Arts Centre, Fareham on 20 September (01329 310600) and The Anvil, Basingstoke on 21 September (01256 844244).