RISING Phoenix singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews will play Pocklington Arts Centre on December 7 as the only northern British date on her late-autumn tour.

This Americana Music Award nominee has toured relentlessly since leaving her Arizona hometown at the age the age of 16, and now 27, she released her latest album, May Your Kindness Remain, in March on the Fat Possum Records label.

Predominately written on the road – in the van, in hotels and in the homes of family and friends – the songs were inspired by the people Andrews met along the way. "More than anything it got me thinking about my childhood, and the people around me that I’ve known, and the stories that come from my family," she says. "It became clear how many people are struggling through the same issues."

Full of vivid depictions of complex people and places with all too common difficulties, the album conveys the psychological impact of the unrealistic picture of success embedded in modern American culture. "People are constantly chasing that bigger life. A lot of people are poor in America and because of those unattainable goals, they’re also mentally unstable, or sad, or depressed or unfulfilled," says Andrews.

"A lot of people, myself included at some point in my life, are loving somebody through this. That’s sort of the theme of the record: coming to terms with depression and the reality of the world we’re living in. Mental illness is a taboo in this culture, or not taken seriously. I’ve grown up around it a lot, and sort of feel like I understand it from all sides."

Andrews made her breakthrough last year with Honest Life, an album that reflected on the isolation and rootlessness inherent in a life on the road, and after producing that record herself, she decided that the broader lyrical focus on the follow-up should be matched by a different production spec too. "It’s very characteristic to how I work, I need to be shaken up," she says. "I was like, ‘I need to change something, and create something different, and push myself in a different direction'. I knew I wanted to make a more modern, unique-sounding record."

Andrews and her band duly found themselves in a rented house in Los Angeles for eight days, recording May Your Kindness Remain with Mark Howard, producer for Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris and Tom Waits, at the helm as the band set up in a circle, watching each other across the room, playing each song live.

“I wanted to make a record in LA. In that house, overlooking a city that epitomises both America’s diversity and also the commonality of very real struggles against often unrealistic hopes and dreams," she says.

Her vocals drew inspiration from vintage soul records. "I subconsciously started incorporating more vocal stretching in my songs, just because of how fun that was," says Andrews. "I’ve always been really inspired by soul singers. I can sing like that, but I never really had before."

Looking forward to playing host to Andrews' northernmost date, arts centre director Janet Farmer says: "We're so excited to be bringing Courtney Marie Andrews to Pocklington, and the fact that this will be her only Northern show as part of her tour makes it extra special. Andrews is a real talent. We were lucky enough to see her perform a fantastic showcase at South By South West (SXSW) in Austin, Texas in March, so this will be a really special show."

Tickets for Andrews' 8pm gig are selling well at £17 on 01759 301547 or at pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Charles Hutchinson