APLR Presents: Rachael Sage + Kristen Ford with special guest Christie Lenée
Wednesday, August 6th, 2025
AyurPrana Listening Room - 312 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Doors 6PM || Show 7PM
Rachael Sage
Singer-songwriter, producer and poet Rachael Sage has released over 20 albums and EPs of empowered alt-folk-pop on her own label MPress Records since first bursting onto the music scene via Lilith Fair. An outspoken activist on behalf of many causes including LGBTQ+ rights, anti-gun violence and women's health issues, Sage is a self-described cancer thriver with multiple top-charting singles, including her hopeful anthems "Blue Sky Days" and "Bravery On Fire" and her feminist anthem "Sistersong". A 6-time Independent Music Award Winner and John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand Prize recipient, Rachael has shared stages with an eclectic list of artists including Ani DiFranco, Rufus Wainwright, A Great Big World, Beth Hart and Shawn Colvin. Her music has been described by PopMatters as "a hopeful message beneath the undertow of visceral struggle we have collectively experienced over the last few years". Rachael will be sharing songs from her forthcoming album Canopy, out this October on MPress/Virgin/Universal.For more information, visit rachaelsage.com.
Kristen Ford
On Pinto, the queer, biracial, songwriter Kristen Ford blasts beyond the point of caution and unveils a wild landscape of visceral emotion. Ford’s world is one of the deepest feelings: whether fuming at queer repression, falling head over heels in love, or learning to practice true self-acceptance. Pinto is a place where she can be share her losses while being mindful enough to acknowledge her wins. In revealing both her scars and her successes, Ford raises a cry that invites the listener to boldly embrace themselves, to take up space, and toloudly state that “enough is enough”.
The lessons that Ford explores on Pinto are those learned the hard way: from helplessly watching the suppression of queer rights in the US, through finding new love after a gut-wrenching divorce, and from the daily microaggressions that come with being sold a patriarchal expectation of ‘womanliness’. With a series of acclaimed releases under her belt, no one could accuse this veteran songwriter of lacking poetic nuance, but it is hard to ignore the raw messages that are contained within Pinto. Undoubtedly, this is Ford’s most political, most pointed, and most energizing outing yet.
Christie Lenée
“Acoustic Guitarist of the Year” and celebrated singer/songwriter Christie Lenée is more than a musician – she’s an experience. Symphonic compositions flow from her fingertips effortlessly, with sound ranging from transcendental folk-pop to virtuosic instrumentals.
Christie has been described as “Dave Matthews meets Joni Mitchell and Michael Hedges,” integrating melodic pop lyricism with catchy hooks and percussive, harmonic textures. Since achieving 1st place at the International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in 2017, her captivating performances have been seen on stages with Tommy Emmanuel, Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews Band), Andy McKee, Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Melissa Etheridge, Antigone Rising, Kaki King, Jake Shimabukoro and Christopher Cross to name a few.
Featured on the Grammy Museum’s virtual program streaming from Los Angeles, a 2x Finalist in the USA Songwriting Competition, plus a variety of articles in Guitar Player Magazine, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and the recent notability of “Best Acoustic Guitarists in the World Right Now” (Guitar World Magazine), Christie continues to awe crowds with the unique essence of her music.
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