The Friday song (on a Sunday): ‘Keeper’ by Courtney Marie Andrews

Having started out at school in a punk, riot grrrl band, Massacre in a Mini Skirt (what a name!), then moved to keyboard/ vocal duties in Jimmy Eat World, and then provided a backing voice to dozens of artists including Damien Jurado, the painter, poet, author, singer and songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews finally added an electric guitar to her instrument arsenal to build out her sound and set out on a solo career. 

Andrews is a deeply emotional, superb singer and songwriter. She released her latest album, Valentine, in January. In keeping with her Americana/folk base, and with a hook-filled inclination towards pop, Andrews’ voice possesses range, intensity and a tricky and rich falsetto, which evokes but is quite different to Joni Mitchell’s. 

If I Told from Andrews’ 2020 album Old Flowers was one of my songs of that year. It was certainly my favourite ballad, executed with such clarity, with small vocal leaps, plain and simple. A perfect love song. On Valentine, an album that could have been called “Looking for Love”, she deploys similar vocal textures and dexterity on the light, upbeat Keeper, today’s Friday song, which drew me in on first listen.

It’s an enchanting melody, underlying a simple story, testing the uncertainty and insecurity of a new relationship. In essence, am I worth keeping? If so, I in turn shall be the keeper of my lover’s heart, secrets and the one holding it all together… until it falls apart. 

I’ve been a Courtney Marie fan since her Honest Life album and the single Irene. Check her out and let me know if Keeper works for you. 

Listen to Keeper by Courtney Marie Andrews on Spotify here and Apple Music here.

I started a music WhatsApp group in 2023. I send one song a week on a Friday, with links to both Apple and Spotify, and an accompanying narrative/capsule piece. If you want to engage about a song, get a playlist or just get in touch, email me on markgrosin@gmail.com.

For more of Mark’s expert picks, go here.