Talent Will Out: Courtney Marie Andrews And The Road To 'Honest Life'

If you tuned in to Later…with Jools Holland earlier this year, you may have caught your first glimpse of Courtney Marie Andrews. Singing deeply introspective, poetic songs about heartache and personal growth with a hint of peak Joni Mitchell, that exposure was reward for years of toil that culminated in one of the finest albums of 2016: the soul-baring, bittersweet ‘Honest Life’.

After hitting the road at 16 - determined to forge a career as a musician - Andrews spent nearly a decade working towards a break as a solo artist. Along the way she released five albums, paid her dues as a session player and spent most of her early adulthood as a nomadic troubadour. Until, that is, one event forced her to take stock, tentatively put down some roots and reconnect with her loved ones.

That sense of personal growth is expertly captured on ‘Honest Life’, with Andrews’ narrative journey mirroring her career over the course of 10 tracks that were written on tour in Europe and during a stint bartending back in the States. The end result was an album full of highly accomplished songs that delivered a mellifluous mixture of country, folk and Americana with a powerful sense of melody.  

With Andrews currently touring the UK and Ireland, and a new 7” set for release next month, it seemed like a good idea to chat with her about that sixth album and ask what it really means to live an honest life.

The BBC joked that you’re an overnight success after six albums.  With regards the amount of graft you’ve put into your career, how does it feel to be finally receiving the acclaim that’s accompanied ‘Honest Life’?

I feel like it's a long time coming, but it happened exactly when it was supposed to. I worked hard, and played to empty rooms as a songwriter, for many, many years. But in those 10 years I learned so much. I was a backup singer and learned what it means to handle success from bigger artists that I sang for. I feel ready, and grateful. I know how far the climb is to the top, but I also know how quickly you can hit the bottom. So I try not to take any small successes for granted. 

Did you ever get to a point where you felt like quitting?

I never gave myself an option to quit. There were definitely times when I felt hopeless though. I did a 30 day tour a few years ago where there was only two to eight people there per night. It was around the same time I was shopping ‘Honest Life’ and no one wanted to put out my record. I began to question if I was good enough, but I persisted. I'm a mediocre bartender, so songwriting is kind of my only option. 

Talking of which, did working in a bar while making the album inadvertently inform the writing process, assimilating those shared experiences into your music?

I didn't intend for it to be research, but I'm an observer, and little stories in my life always find their way in.

I believe that’s particularly true of the song Irene?

Irene was written for a friend going through a hard time. I like to think that all of us women have gone through a period of self-doubt, and it's a song for any coming of age woman who needs to know they're good enough despite life's obstacles.

How have you changed since 2013’s ‘On My Page'? What were the growing pains you experienced that fed into the new songs?

While writing ‘Honest Life’ I experienced my first heartbreak as an adult woman. It made me look in a bit. When I was in my early 20s I was sort of blind in my pursuit of personal endeavours. I was bad about calling my mother and friends, because the road and music were all I made space for. I've learned to balance my dreams and my relationships better, and I believe I'm better for it.

Was leaving home at the age of 16 purely motivated by the love of playing music or were you running away from something, maybe a more routine life or the ties that bind?

It was definitely a mix of both. It's pretty common as a native Phoenician to want to get out. Growing up, me and my punk rock friends would always daydream of leaving. It sort of felt like a desert island and I wanted to discover bigger things and bigger ideas. I wanted to push myself to grow and learn. Travelling and playing music was my way of growing and discovering more about myself and the world.

Is being on the road for so many years a form of arrested development? It seems like that lifestyle represents freedom, but at a cost?

When you first start touring, the road starts out as a sort of freedom. Freedom from school, a mundane job, or broken relationships. But it morphs into something entirely different when you start to do it eight months out of the year for the rest of your life. You have to find freedoms within every lifestyle, and you have to try to navigate your way towards them in every career. Freedom takes on a different form when you're a musician for a living.

Rookie Dreaming is a great way to kick off the album’s journey. What can you tell me about that song?

Rookie became the intro because it's the perfect song to set the tone for the record. Its narrator is coming to terms with the reality of growing up. It's the beginning of a realisation, with all the emotions of that reality to follow.

One of the album’s key lyrics is: “All I’ve ever wanted was an honest life / To be the person that I really am inside.” What are the obstacles to living that kind of honest life?

I was a weird kid growing up. It took me a while to accept that about myself. For me, ‘Honest Life’ is about letting go of society’s social prisons and living true to yourself without fear of judgement.

Put The Fire Out feels like a turning point for both the album and yourself. Was there a moment of epiphany, where you realised you needed a sense of community and a base to settle down in?

I'd spent three years on the road and knew it was time to be around the people I know and love the most. That's how you get closer to who you are at the core. I needed to remember that person again.  I'd say it was more of a gradual realisation than an epiphany.

How is living in Washington state working out for you in reality? Has it satisfied you in the way you hoped it would when you were on the road writing those songs?

I love Washington. I'm not sure if it's my permanent home yet. Still not sure where that's at. Right now my home is where the music is.

Artists always say it’s cathartic to write songs about their life experiences, but when they’re about hard times is it difficult revisiting those emotions every night on stage?

Once I've written a song, I sort of cast it out emotionally. It's not painful to revisit, because it's not my song anymore. Once I've written it, it's up to the audience to interpret it.

There’s a universal quality to the songs that anyone can relate to. Was that something you were conscious of when writing the record?

If you're really honest with how you feel, you'll find that you're not alone.

You’ve said you empathise with blue collar workers and you’ll always find a voice for them in your music. What do you make of the precarious political situation in America now? It’s going to inspire some very powerful folk music.

It's a very heartbreaking time to live in America. I think it's important to stick to our values and morals and use our songs as vessels during this turbulent time. Folk has always been political. It's a voice for the people, and I don't see why that should change just because we are living in 2017. 

'Honest Life' is out now on Loose. Near You b/w Sea Town is expected on September 15.

Courtney Marie Andrews Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:

Thu August 31 2017 - GLASGOW St Luke's
Sun September 03 2017 - BRISTOL Lantern
Mon September 04 2017 - LONDON Bush Hall
Tue September 05 2017 - LONDON Bush Hall

Click here to compare & buy Courtney Marie Andrews Tickets at Stereoboard.com.

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