Strawberry Runners will perform at Citizen Vinyl on Tuesday, August 15. 6 p.m. doors / 7 p.m. show. Tickets are $10 advance / $15 day of show. Lyle De Vitry, Rachel Angel, and Elise Leavy share the bill.
Strawberry Runners is the music project of Hudson Valley-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Emi Night (they/them). Night writes contemporary folk and indie rock songs with lyricism exploring topics of grief, trauma, and growth. A survivor of childhood abuse, Night is committed to destigmatizing conversations about the complex entanglement of love, power, and control within relationships, as well as the lasting effects of trauma.
The richness of their music is in Night’s tender integration of the varied styles they have called home: most of the songs maintain a humble faith in brevity; melody compels each word with the mystery and familiarity of a hymn. Basking in the poetry of vulnerability, like a love letter to a stranger, their songs ignite your heart and echo for days in your ear; poignant scenes are conjured with the reverence, singularity, and elegance of prose. These are the kind of songs that ring true no matter how close or far they hew to the experience of the listener; they are pictures painted from a life too often troubled by brutality and grief, but also graced with an inheritance of compassion, resolve, and — best of all for us — music.
Lyle De Vitry: Originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Lyle grew up in a household filled to the brim with music. The now Asheville-based singer songwriter’s thoughtfully crafted melodies and poetry are imaginative, visually arresting and thought provoking as he explores themes of nature, love, memory and the temporal. Lyle’s creative expression and inspiration are derived from a wide range of sonic spaces. A life of classical training, curious exploration of jazz, and a passion for traditional Appalachian music have each shaped his style into something fresh and innovative
Rachel Angel’s debut record Midnite Heart Attack combines cold hard truths with warm memorable hooks. Planted somewhere between Americana and contemporary indie rock—drum machines, noise rock guitars, and loose pedal steel licks converge around Angel’s simple, heartfelt singing and songwriting.
Voted best songwriter of 2021 by Miami New Times, Angel’s journeys have taken her from her hometown Miami, through California, New York, Spain, and most recently Asheville, NC where she resides. Her debut album, preceded by a string of EP’s, was released in the fall of 2022 and features players from The War On Drugs.
Elise Leavy: Raised on the central coast of California and currently living in Lafayette, LA, Elise Leavy has a distinctly unique voice as a singer and songwriter. Often likened to Joni Mitchell and Judee Sill, Elise says it must be the California seawater getting inside her head and heart from an early age. She has been writing songs since she was 8 years old, and has studied the art of singing and harmony for the better part of her 24 years. After graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music and living in New York City, and then Nashville, TN, she is now thrilled to be releasing her fourth solo project, and her first big record, a group of songs written and recorded in Brooklyn, NY with a full band of amazing local musicians.
