SHOW INFORMATION
Fowler Blast Furnace Room | 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 18015
- Doors: 8:30 pm*
- Show: 9:00 pm
- Venue/Event Rules
*times subject to change
Renee Christine moves through the world as an observer. Across the six tracks of her poignant debut EP Appalachia, Renee surveys and documents the pain of communities she has lived in, passed through and studied. “I’m really interested in the stories of people, and how they’re a part of the landscape they live in,” Renee explains. “There’s a lot of unmetabolized pain.” The Americana singer-songwriter and cellist spins tales of misfortune, resilience and Appalachian lore over impassioned string arrangements, finger-picked guitar and percussion.
As a long-distance backpacker with a degree in Parks and Recreation, Renee never planned to pursue music – until a series of unfortunate events inspired something of a songwriting renaissance while living at home after college. Sharing original songs and reimagined covers while accompanying herself on cello, Renee stumbled upon a diverse and dedicated online audience who were in awe of her guttural voice, and moved by the depth of her subject matter.
In the lineage of outspoken artists like Hozier and Hayley Williams, Renee writes what can only be described as modern protest music. “I feel a massive sense of urgency to say what needs to be said,” she says. On her breakthrough singles “Lehigh Valley” and “Turtle Island,” she is candid about the hardships of small town America: Ever since the devils in the White House gutted this place / Well, the bullet and the bottle get around. Raised outside of Philadelphia, PA and now based near Phoenix, AZ, Renee forged relationships with people across the political spectrum as a backpacker, both informing and enforcing her desire to write about what she believes in – from climate justice to calling out abuses of power.
Growing up in a music-loving family, Renee spent her childhood playing cello and guitar, writing poetry, and listening to her mom’s Neil Young, John Gorka and Simon & Garfunkel CDs. On Appalachia, Renee fuses the singer-songwriter sensibility she grew up on with a folk-punk edge. Produced by newfound collaborator Doug Schadt (Maggie Rogers, ASHE), the project captures the raw energy of her acoustic performance videos, and heightens the stakes of her sound.
From hiking along the Mason-Dixon line to working in the white mountains of New Hampshire, Renee isn’t particularly attached to any one place – It’s the people that inspire her. “I’m just interested in these stories,” she says. “I just want to get to the bottom of their pain.”
Her debut EP Appalachia is out October 24th, 2025.
Lydia von Hof
Instagram: lydiavonhof
Lydia von Hof is an emerging indie artist based in New York. Her music explores the realms of the indie world, including folk, rock, pop, and occasionally country. Her songwriting invites audiences into a wide range of themes, everything from classic heartbreak and the queer experience to reimagined modern-day Shakespearean tales.
Lydia has opened for artists including Liz Longley, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and more. She has performed at Festivals such as SXSW and the O+ Festival, as well as venues including Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks halftime show, The Bitter End in NYC, and the Hard Rock Café in Boston. Her songwriting has garnered acclaim, as she was recently selected as the winner of the ASCAP Writers’ Showcase in the Spring of 2022 at Belmont University. Lydia is a Belmont University Songwriting Alumna and was recently signed to STUDENT-RUN LABEL, Unispan Records, in 2024.