For Chris Renzema, becoming an artist was something that happened slowly but inevitably.

Chris was always drawn to writing and playing songs, but his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan didn’t have much of a music scene. After moving to Nashville in 2015 to pursue a career in music, he’s seen slow but steady success. Since then, the musician, songwriter, and producer has released three albums: 2018’s Be the Branches, 2020’s Let the Ground Rest in 2020 and 2021’s Get Out of the Way of Your Own Heart. Chris’ latest album, Manna, recorded in January at Nashville’s Sound Emporium, represents a culmination of everything he’s done so far. The album reflects on big questions while remaining both personal and accessible.

That relationship between audience and artist is something Chris has honed for years on the road as well. He began regularly touring in 2019 and has been building a steady fan base since, playing iconic venues including Red Rocks and Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. While Chris has garnered numerous accolades, including being named on Pandora’s “Artist to Watch” list and earning a GMA Dove Award nomination for New Artist of the Year, it’s his dynamic live shows that have truly cemented him as a musician on the rise.

CITIZENS

OPEN THE SHOW!

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The Seattle-based band Citizens has been breaking molds since their shotgun birth in 2011. Forming just months prior to their debut EP, ‘Already Not/Yet’, Citizens found quick endearment in the hearts and ears of people worldwide with their energetic alternative hymn arrangements. As their friendship grew, so did their storytelling. Original songs, sung out of overflowing wells of joy and dark depths of pain, began to surface and the full force of Citizens began to really take shape.

Citizens has never just been any one thing. Over the years they have received a welcomed embrace in a variety of genres, primarily attributed to their commitment to honesty. While every song has not always found itself in the spaces of corporate church singing, Citizens has stayed true to telling the stories of God’s grace in their lives. It’s always been about writing for more than just the Christians but for the world to hear and know that they are loved no matter what. Their forthcoming release ‘The Joy of Being’ is yet another exploration through new sounds and yet still that same lyrical imperative: Writing songs for the found and the lost to sing.