Courtney Marie Andrews at Sessions Arts Club

Courtney Marie Andrews

Sessions Arts Club, 9 November 2025 

After seeing Courtney Marie Andrews last week in the intimate atmosphere of St Pancras Old Church, I was even more lucky to see her again for a special event at the Sessions Arts Club for a magical, shimmering candlelit evening of poetry, song and a playback of Andrews' upcoming new album, Valentine.

This show was something of a surprise. It randomly popped up for sale about two weeks ago and was sold out before it was announced that it was actually part listening party for the new record, as well as a poetry reading from her latest poetry collection, Love Is A Dog That Bites When It's Scared. It was also being held in a place I've never been before, the Sessions Arts Club, which is usually a restaurant, and when I turned up, because I was the first one there, I actually had to circle the building twice, because there were no signs at all, aside from a small poster outside the door, which I eventually found thankfully! 

Soon others turned up to queue and then Andrews herself came along saying hi to us as she went in, so I breathed a sigh of relief that we were all indeed in the right place! Finally when the doors opened we all had to take a tiny lift up to the top floor, which took us to a small room which a shabby chic, boho feel, filled with lit candles and traditional fireplaces and peeling paint on the walls (that part I've never got). Andrews had said it was her favourite place to eat in London (and she later revealed she is good friends with the owner which probably helps too) but I had to admit it did have a lovely atmosphere full of friendly staff who kept asking if we were all okay. Andrews' equipment was set up in the middle of the room and with no stage, it did feel a bit like we were in a fancy small room (albeit one with a bar and a balcony) for a living room concert: it felt so nicely snug and intimate.

I have never been to an album playback before really, the closest I think I've come to that was a fan event for Alice In Chain's third album in the late 1990s, which was held in a London pub and I vaguely remember the album was played while fans drank in the pub, while the band were hidden away in a back room occasionally peaking out, although I did managed to get Jerry Cantrell's autograph that night! I thought maybe Andrews might come out and introduce it, instead a member of staff did the honors and they simply played the album, Valentine, through over the speakers, with the crowd going quiet (for the most part) and many sitting on the floor. It was a fairly enjoyable, communal way to hear the record for the first time and it did sound absolutely great, with many of the songs already sounding like classics. It will be a different experience to get it in January and already be familiar with all the tracks!

I thought maybe we would be waiting around for a while making small talk before Andrews made her entrance but rather sweetly she didn't leave us waiting, quickly turning up already armed with her acoustic guitar and her partner Jerry Bernhardt, who had his electric guitar but instead sat at the small piano. 

Andrews looked lovely as usual, this time wearing a tea-length black sleeveless dress with a white blouse underneath, her hair in plaits. Because there was no stage and we were all on the same level, it really did highlight just how small and petite Andrews is, and just made me even more impressed how much talent her little body holds.

Although the show was advertised as a poetry event, it turned out to be more of a mini concert with a few poems read between the songs, which was actually a really lovely way of doing it. She began with a new song, Best Friend from the upcoming album (and also performed at St Pancras Old Church), a really sweet plaintive tune that began, "best friend, I've always wanted to have a best friend, someone I can tell my deepest thoughts to." 

She could have just played new songs, we were celebrating her new record and book afterall, but she quickly gave us some old favourites, singing Burlap String and Break The Spell, and there was something absolutely incredible to be stood right in front of her with the candles flickering behind her and Bernhardt gently accompanying her on piano, and hear those songs and hear her voice, not just from the microphone, but to actually hear her sing. It was, well, pure magic.

She then read the first poem from her book. She explained that the book was divided into three sections and she was going to read one from each section tonight (she also asked us, amusingly, the click our fingers for the poems and to clap for the songs, which we all gamely did!). The first was called Our Street, about appreciating all the imperfections that come with love. It was short and sweet and showed that Andrews is not only an evocative lyricist but a rather good poet too.

Returning to the music, Bernhardt moved over to his electric guitar, and Andrews told us that they were going to try out a new song for the first time, since it was already out in the world as a single and they had never played it, Keeper. It's funny, I did wonder why she didn't play it last time during her set of only new tracks, since it was her latest single but that explains why. You would never know though it was their first time playing it live because it sounded natural and a nice upbeat addition to the set, showing off Andrews' lilting vocals perfectly.

After the country-esque It Must Be Someone's Else's Fault, Andrews then went to newer tracks once again, but not from the forthcoming album, including Punchline, To Be Wanted and Eleven Red Horses, which all sounded so familiar to me this time as she also played them at St Pancras Old Church. It's actually crazy they aren't going to be on the new record because all are so good, but I guess hopefully we can look forward to them being included on a future album. The only old track she played during this part was Irene, which of course went down a treat.

The second poem she read was called They Say It's Summer, which she said was written in London after having her phone stolen, so felt appropriate, and she wrote it the old fashioned way in a notebook, since she didn't have access to technology, and described the feeling of being in the park in England at that time. 

After thanking us for being so quiet during it all, when she began the next song, another new track called Standing In The Rain, someone dropped a glass, spoiling that perfect silence and causing Andrews and Bernhardt, to giggle during the sad tune, but it just added to the magic of the moment. It got even funnier though when during the next song, It I Told, there was an even bigger smash from a broken glass, which of course, made the duo crack up and Andrews admitted she had probably induced all the noise!

The final poem was actually also the last in the book, which she said was the sad section of the collection but a friend had noted that every section was actually sad! It was called Come Visit, which began "I am an ambassador of love" and seemed to be, not just about love, but about her life on the road and her love of playing new places and meeting new people, and was the perfect way to end our night of poetry.

But there was also a final song, the absolutely gorgeous Cons & Clowns, her beautiful ode to outsiders and it's heartwarming encouragements in the lyrics "lot of bad people who will tear you down, not me, no way." There is something so powerful about it, her voice just swelling and so affective, it was such a wonderful way to end the show.

Then is was all over, no need for an encore of course. Having started at 4pm, it was an early one and amazingly I was then home by 7.30pm on a Sunday night, which couldn't have been more perfect. But what a way to spend my Sunday! Hearing Courtney Marie Andrews sing her heart out and experiencing her poetry firsthand. It's definitely an evening I won't forget.