He’s far too nice to be St Albans’ answer to Simon Cowell but a grandson of Christiane Kubrick is celebrating songs released by a local artist through his new independent record label.

Jack Hobbs, managing director of Jacket Records, said he was “lucky” that his grandmother, a painter, had offered him space to house a studio at her home in the Childwickbury estate, where she moved with film director husband Stanley Kubrick in 1978.

And this Saturday (20) the estate will host a release gig for talented teenager Hope Russell-Winter, by invitation only.

Jack said the 15-year-old’s songs were “informed largely by issues such as loss, illness, the fragility of life, family and belonging. She has been through so much as a young person.”

Hope’s self-titled acoustic EP has four tracks - three of which were written by the Sandringham School student, for whom music is a creative outlet.

She said: “I was singing at a gig two summers ago at Childwickbury and Jack was doing the sound. I’m not a professionall-trained singer, but I have been in the school choir and Jack has taught me breathing techniques.”

The Year 10 pupil said her music teacher at Sandringham had “always been supportive” of her interest in the industry.

And the teenager credits her parents for instilling a love of music from a young age as there “was always music playing in the house”.

As a toddler Hope used to sing herself to sleep.

Jack said he believed the teen, who sings while playing a stage piano, would “go far”.

Hope is available through all major digital music stores.

For more information see www.jacketrecords.com