Talented singer-songwriter crosses categories, quickly growing fanbase
By Mike McGann, Editor, KennettTimes.com
Christie Lenee
KENNETT SQUARE — She defies simple classification. At turns, she’s a power vocalist, other times, she inventively uses her guitar as a percussion instrument — and at any given time she’s working on multiple projects, with one of her two backing bands and trying to figure out where, exactly on the East Coast she is at.
Singer-songwriter Christie Lenee headlines Friday evening at the Kennett Flash — making her return to the area, as she continues to grow a strong local following and a growing national reputation.
When you speak to her, she’s almost breathless in trying to list both the various projects she has underway — and where she’ll be performing. With bands based in southeast Pennsylvania and her native Tampa, Fla. — she splits her time between ends of the east coast, and currently is spending the next few weeks in the area, with shows in Wilmington, Philadelphia and even Harrisburg in the coming weeks.
“There’s a lot going on,” she admits. “I’m working on a new acoustic CD and we just finished a new EP — and that one features Jeff Coffin, the sax player from the Dave Matthews Band, he appears on one track and that was exciting.”
And a new studio album. And later in the year, she’ll be opening for Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray on her tour and of course, continue bouncing up and down the east coast, continuing to building a growing following of fans — not to mention the respect of a number of the top acts in the business.
With the buzz building and there seeming to be more opportunity than ever for new artists — especially female vocalists — to break out, Lenee said she is getting the sense that this could be the year that she goes from being an underground favorite to breaking out to a wider audience — thanks in part to the multitude of options from satellite radio to the Internet.
“I think 2012 is going to be a great year,” she said. “I can feel really feel the energy out there.”
Because of social networking and the changes in the distribution of music — bands are already breaking into mainstream stardom without record labels — music fans are now becoming the real make-or-break for artists. A few comments on Facebook can turn quickly into a wave.
“I think it’s a huge boost,” she said. “Really, the fans are now the new record label.”
Tickets for Friday night’s show — which starts at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) — can be purchased directly from The Flash’s Website.
