With her soulful alto and pretty blonde bangs, Courtney Marie Andrews may - at first blush- remind you of a young Joni Mitchell. She gets that a lot.
“Joni is incredible,” Andrews says. “I don't mind being compared to her at all.”
But Andrews is no imitation.The 25-year-old songwriter calls her album Honest Life.
That's also a goal.
“Honest Life is being who you are and realizing that there are obstacles and hard truths in life that you have to learn but overcoming them and being true to yourself.”
Andrews began touring at age 16, as soon as she got her drivers license. But for the past five years, she has lived outside Duvall, tending bar and meeting the kind of people who populate her songs.
“I saw them every night,” says Andrews. “They were always kind of drunk at the bar and a little bit dramatic about it.”
She poured drinks.Her customers poured out their hearts.
“It just helped me write songs better because I could empathize with the people I was serving.”
Courtney Marie Andrews performs at Tractor Tavern Thursday night. It’s her record release party.
