Courtney Marie Andrews at Rough Trade Denmark Street

Courtney Marie Andrews

Rough Trade Denmark St, 17 February 2026

It's only a couple of months since I last saw Courtney Marie Andrews play live and both those shows were particularly special: one in a tiny church, the other a part poetry reading in a shabby chic arts club. This surprise in store though was easily the tiniest show I've seen her play and was all the more magical for being completely acoustic, letting her natural big voice shine through.

I've never actually been to an in store performance at the fairly new Rough Trade Denmark Street (it only opened last year) and I did wonder how it would work as it's pretty small inside compared to Rough Trade East, which has a proper stage at the back of the store. 

I did go to a Bat For Lashes record signing there a few days prior, which I must admit I mistakenly thought was a live performance too. I probably wouldn't have gone had I realised it was just a record signing, but Natasha Khan was lovely and I can't deny it was nice to get my new copy of her classic album Fur And Gold signed. Also, it did give me an idea of how this Courtney Marie Andrews performance would work, so I was very excited at just how intimate it was going to be.

I turned up far too early but fortunately there were were already a couple of familiar faces in the queue, which was nice and made the time waiting in the cold fly by. When we finally got in, the displays in the middle of the floor had been taken away, giving enough space for the 50 attendees (I told you it was small!) while at the very back of the store, in-between the stairs and the photo booth, the only evidence that someone was about to perform was a floor lamp and a guitar pedal on the floor.

I thought we may have to wait another hour because the artist emerges, as if often the case at Rough Trade East, but because everything was so much more informal in this tiny store, Andrews  quietly walked up the stairs from the basement, clutching her acoustic guitar and smiling. Even though I've seen her live many times now, I always forget just how tiny she is: her face so delicate and pretty like a doll. She always looks so small under her big acoustic guitar.

Tonight she's wearing a simple striped shirt and stylish white trousers, with her hair once again in plaits. She looks incredibly sweet but also, quite chic. She plugs in her guitar, but it's then that I realise that she has no microphone! She shyly says hello and says she has just arrived in London for her tour and was still a little jet-lagged, not that she looked it. She then just began singing, and, wow, her voice was so loud and pure!

She starts with the lovely Cons & Clowns, the perfect and moving first single from her new album Valentine, and as she sways and strums, she closes her eyes and sings with so much feeling: it feels like she means every word as she croons "lot of bad people who will tear you down, not me, no way." It's such a reassuring song and feels such a warm hug on a cold day.

Hangman on the record is such a slow-burning tune that builds to the full band kicking it at the end but tonight it's a far more haunting affair, with just Andrews' pure voice and guitar echoing through the small space and throughout the whole crowd stood in silent awe.

Only The Best For Baby not only showcased her voice but also her finger-picking style (she's actually a really good guitar player) and sounded so lovely and lonesome as she pleaded, "I will settle for your crumbs, the child in me needs your love."

She then upped the pace with the more upbeat, Everyone Wants To Feel Like You Do, Andrews jauntily strumming her guitar and rocking back and forth, her voice so cool and clear as she sang the chorus, while Magic Touch truly did add a little sparkle: when she slowed down to sing "You've got that magic touch" I did get chills, it sounded so magical and pure.

Finally she sang maybe my favourite song on the new record, Best Friend, which is so heartbreaking and innocent, obviously sang from the point of view of a child. Her voice sounds so emotional, like she is reliving a moment from the past. Somehow it feels even more personal and moving because we are in such an intimate space and it's completely acoustic. It really is something special.

At the end, Andrews laughs and stands there awkwardly as we all applaud. She admits she doesn't know where to go or what to do next, but the crowd parts for her in a suitably religious way, and she makes her way to the front of the small store, sitting behind the counter to sign records for people.

I've obviously met her once before when she signed her book of poetry for me, so I wasn't sure whether to stay for the signing this time but as it was such a small crowd I thought it couldn't hurt. Others in front of me seemed to have very sweet and friendly interactions with her but I must admit I felt so awkward, so I just told her how to spell my name and that the show was magic, but to be fair that was all that was necessary.

How lucky am I to have seen these three perfect little shows in just the last few months?  Courtney Marie Andrews deserves to be far bigger than she is but hopefully her fantastic new record will help fix that, because she definitely deserves it.