One of the region’s finest singer-songwriters Ruth Lyon is playing The Glasshouse in Gateshead this December, which gets a big whoop from me.

Newcastle’s Ruth Lyon writes without artifice: her lyrics grapple with loss, identity, insecurity, healing, and what it means to be human. Whether she’s describing heartbreak or self-doubt, there’s a rawness to her voice that feels real and unfiltered. And all of these qualities are very much to the fore on her outstanding debut album ‘Poems & Non-Fiction’, which was released earlier this year. Produced with John Parish (who is known for his emotional and atmospheric work with the likes of PJ Harvey and Aldous Harvey) it’s a release where melody and instrumental colour dovetail perfectly over songs that carry tremendous emotional weight. Needless to say, she’s got the pipes to do these songs full justice: not just technically strong, but full of expression. This is music that makes you think, feel. Music that sometimes confronts discomfort, music that often finds hope. DP

Ruth Lyon, Thursday 11 December, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, 8pm, from £18.40, theglasshouseicm.org