AFTER finding fame on hit ITV show, The Voice , acoustic duo Into The Ark will be joining their mentor during his trip to South Cumbria this summer. EMMA PRESTON spoke to one half of the Welsh twosome about what touring with Sir Tom Jones means to them both

THEY have shot to national fame under the watchful eye of a showbusiness legend.

But as they return to what they know best - albeit on a bigger scale - acoustic duo, Into The Ark, have promised to stay true to their loyal fanbase. Taylor Marshall Jones and Dane Lloyd have been playing together for six years, but rarely to crowds like the ones they will entertain when they go on tour with Sir Tom Jones this summer.

Talking to Dane, his excitement is almost infectious.

“I’m still buzzing”, he tells me the moment he picks up the phone. Soon we’re laughing about our respective accents (his singsong Welsh vs my non-existent Cumbrian), his choice of wording when describing the moment Sir Tom spun his chair (it involved losing control over certain bodily functions) and the pair’s refusal to pull a Justin Bieber.

“We’re really, really looking forward to meeting fans of the show,” he assures me. “Whenever we’ve finished gigs in the past we’ll go and do some signing and have some pictures.

“That’s probably the best thing we can do, because we wouldn’t be where we are without our fans. Cliche as that sounds, it’s true.”

One of nine venues the pair are confirmed as playing with Sir Tom so far is Cartmel Racecourse on June 30. It may be their first time in south Cumbria, it may not. Dane admits that their previous touring schedules have been a little hard to keep track of.

“We were doing three to four across a day,” he explains, “stopping at one university and driving to the next. We stopped looking where we were going, just programming the next place into satnav.”

Still, I’m pretty sure I hear his ears prick when I mention they could see some of the south Lake District while visiting.

One of the things the duo really are looking forward to when they come to Cartmel is getting back to playing their original music. Having long been writing and recording, they already have a catalogue of works on iTunes and Spotify.

Dane in particular is keen to get his hands back on his guitar, having spent Saturday nights on The Voice singing covers. But he speaks highly of his time on the hit show, he and Taylor having specifically applied to win Sir Tom’s attention.

“We knew that anyone turning would be huge,” he says, “but we did go in with the mindset to try and get him to turn around, so we did an Elvis track because we know he’s a huge fan.

“Our favourite music is soul, Motown, anything with a classic sound, so there’s no one better to represent you than someone who’s lived with that music and met all those people. Plus, he’s Welsh. Definitely a bonus!”