Andrew Kreider

Andrew Kreider was born and raised in London, England, growing up caught between the sounds of the English “folk-baroque” scene and new wave musician poets like Elvis Costello. Throw in the influence of Canadians Joni Mitchell and Bruce Cockburn, then stir in the upheaval of a move Midwestern Indiana in his 20s, and you get the fertile soil for some first-class songwriting with a “transatlantic drawl.”

Kreider splits his time between pastoring a Mennonite church in Elkhart, IN, and writing and performing his music. And while he doesn’t explicitly identify himself as a “Christian artist,” his deep Christian faith lies at the heart of his work. Kreider intentionally refers to himself as a "bi-vocational musician" - a poet and pastor who finds joy in addressing the spiritual alongside the remarkable and the banal in everyday life.

The songs on “Firebrands and Golden Strands” - his most recent CD - were all written in the summer of 2005, documenting a three-month sabbatical trip from Switzerland to Austin, TX, via New England and Nova Scotia. By turns witty, spiritual and poignant, Kreider turns his poet’s eye on everything from the soil in a monastery garden to the moon shining through a hotel window, from his failed attempts at self-improvement to a mass arrival of ancient Greeks at a small-town airport. He moves stylistically from folk and country ballads to rock to spare solo numbers, always centering on his voice and guitar.

With strong melodies, carefully crafted lyrics and understated playing, Kreider’s songs reward repeated listening.