Blake Christiana – Raw, Acoustic Songwriting from The Frontman of Yarn, with our guest Nick Franclik

Blake Christiana, frontman and songwriter of the acclaimed Americana band Yarn, brings his solo acoustic set to Godfrey Daniels. Known for writing songs that speak to shared struggles and everyday lives, Blake strips it all down—just his voice, guitar, and stories behind the songs. With a career that includes GRAMMY ballot nods, national festivals, and collaborations with icons like John Oates, his solo shows offer a raw, honest connection in an intimate setting.

BLAKE CHRISTIANA OF YARN
yarnmusic.net

Blake Christiana is the founding member, singer, and songwriter for the band, Yarn. That’s certainly no small accomplishment, especially for a band that spent two years honing their chops during a Monday night residency at the famed Kenny’s Castaway in New York’s  Greenwich Village. Eight studio albums followed.  

Blake has shared stages with such superstars as Dwight Yoakam, Charlie Daniels, Marty Stuart,  Allison Krauss, Leon Russell, Jim Lauderdale, and The Lumineers. He has appeared at Mountain  Stage, Daytrotter, the Orange Peel in Asheville, the Fox Theater in Boulder, the 9:30 Club in D.C,  South by Southwest, the Strawberry Festival, Rhythm and Roots, Floydfest, Meadowgrass, and many more, eventually accumulating over 1,000 shows, half a million miles and performances in nearly all 50 states. 

Indeed, the accolades piled up quickly along the way. They appeared on the GRAMMY ballot for  3 of their studio albums, garnered nods from the Americana Music Association, placed top five on both Radio and Records and the AMA album charts, garnered airplay on Sirius FM, I Tunes,  Pandora, CNN, CMT and Roughstock.com, and also accorded the “Download of the Day” from  Rolling Stone, and even shared songwriting credits with John Oates, of Hall & Oates fame. 

As a solo artist, Blake shares his songs and stories in a very raw, stripped-down format. Just his voice and an acoustic guitar, often giving insight into the songs he is singing. Christiana’s  songwriting influence is simply “life.” 

“I want to do songs everybody, rich, poor, young, old, everybody in between can relate to,” he said. “I’m not a super intellectual writer. I write from feelings, emotions, and a lot of struggle.  Whatever we’ve been born into and been blessed with, we all face the same struggles. 

Our Rosewood Artists are notable, as their ongoing presence reflects an enduring artistic kinship with Godfrey Daniels.

WITH OUR GUEST, NICK FRANCLIK
facebook.com/nickfranclikmusic

Nick Franclik has been a cornerstone of the Lehigh Valley PA music scene for over 35 years, earning a loyal following as a skilled bassist, guitarist, songwriter, and performer. He plays regularly throughout the region, performing solo with voice and acoustic guitar, as well as backing other regional artists including Jack Murray and Dina Hall. He received the Lehigh Valley Music Awards’ 20-Year Veteran Award in 2016. His career has included national and international touring, co-bill shows at esteemed venues, as well as gigs at dive bars and farmers markets-wherever folks might gather to hear a song.

Nick draws songwriting inspiration from a deep well of great artists, listing Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, and Lucinda Williams as favorites. When the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the music industry, Nick used the downtime to embark on recording and producing his first solo record. “View from My Spaceship” was released in July 2022.