Gem Andrews was born in the Liverpool. At 6 years of age, she started playing the guitar and listening to Sandy Denny, and this influence remains. Growing up in a musically rich and diverse city such as Liverpool, she had the opportunity to explore a wealth of music and lyrics during her formative years. At 15, she was appearing at venues such as the Unity Theatre, Pogue Mahone's and the famous Cavern Club.

The title "North" refers to northeast England, the geographic inspiration for Andrews' writing. The album tackles themes of mental illness, poverty, community and destitution. Like all the best writing, she delves deep into her personal experiences to produce songs that will resonate over time and space. Her voice is beautifully attuned to the sentiments expressed.

Nowhere is this more evident than on the track aptly titled "Sing Your Song." She then brings us an upbeat rendition of a song that has a less than upbeat theme, titled "Lungs."

I always have a favourite on the albums I listen to, and on North this has to be "Two Lighthouses," on which Andrews compares an ideal life to being such edifices on opposite banks of a river. The lyrics here are from a poem by Julia Darling. If given sufficient airplay, this would bring her to a much wider audience currently deprived of the work of this talented writer and performer. She uses another of this poet's works on the thought-provoking "Straight Lines."

She closes a collection of great songs with one that is not from her own pen, but Anna McGarrigle's "Come a Long Way" is a wonderful album and show closer. This jaunty tale and melody wants us as an audience screaming for an encore. Please, Gem, indulge us.