- Singer-songwriter Bren will debut her new EP, "Too Late For Flowers" on Saturday, Aug. 26 at National Sokols
- The Bethlehem songstress says she hopes to empower young women through her music
- Slingshot Dakota and the Halogens also will perform that night
BETHEHEM, Pa. — Singer/songwriter Bren says she wants other young women to hear her music.
A Lehigh Valley-based performer known for her sultry voice and edgy sound, Bren will celebrate her new EP, "Too Late for Flowers," at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at National Sokols bar, 613 Hillside Ave, Bethlehem.
Opening the show will be homegrown bands Slingshot Dakota and Halogens.
Tickets are $10. All ages are welcome (IDs will be checked at the door).
Bren, 23, has been playing at Lehigh Valley venues since her mid-teens.
Lately, she said, she's seen her fanbase grow.
"I pulled in a decent crowd at Musikfest and while playing, it hit me that I didn't know all the people there. It wasn't just friends or people from work. There were people who went out of their way, that were strangers, that came to hear my music."Singer-songwriter Bren
"I move in the same circles for the most part, but I've been recognized a few times, which is an insane feeling," she said.
"I pulled in a decent crowd at Musikfest and while playing, it hit me that I didn't know all the people there. It wasn't just friends or people from work.
"There were people who went out of their way, that were strangers, that came to hear my music. It's an indescribable feeling. I'm really grateful."
'Too Late for Flowers'
Bren said she began writing the material for "Too Late for Flowers" in 2020. She said it was a means to escape her dark thoughts and heal.
"Right before COVID, I went through my first major breakup. I was with this person for the better part of three years. Unfortunately, I really lacked perspective. I let myself be mistreated," she said.
"I don't love the narrative that you have to suffer for your art, but it's also, I didn't ask to suffer, I didn't ask to have to endure pain and trauma."Singer-songwriter Bren
"Leaving was a very important and good decision and I wrote a lot of songs based off of that.
"I don't love the narrative that you have to suffer for your art, but it's also, I didn't ask to suffer, I didn't ask to have to endure pain and trauma. It was going to happen either way and music at some points was the only thing that gave me a sense of relief and understanding."
In between gigs, Bren works as a barista at Three Birds Coffeehouse in Easton.
It's been steady work and something that helped fund the production costs for "Too Late for Flowers."
"I teamed up with Mt. Moon Recording and Justin Calaycay," she said. "He understood completely what I was going for as genre and production."
Bren has released some of the album's singles, such as "Prom Dress" and "Happy Birthday," and will debut the rest on Saturday.
Bren said it was important to her to make her upcoming show all-ages.
"I remember growing up and not being able to go to 21-and-over shows, which is really frustrating," she said. "I think it's an important [show], especially for women.
"I want young women to hear my music and understand the messages. There are things that I wish that I knew."
Her 'fangirl' moment
Bren said she's excited to have the area band Slingshot Dakota playing with her.
"I'm extremely stoked," she said. "I have known since before the record was finished that I wanted to ask Slingshot Dakota to play the release show because they've been the example to follow since I was 13 years old and moved to the Valley. I'm a little bit of a fangirl still."
She said she plans to continue promoting "Too Late for Flowers," which she released as an independent artist.
"I'm not signed, I'm a one-girl mission," Bren said. "I do have a manager, Meghan Laverty, because navigating music as an indie artist can be overwhelming.
"You have to wear tons of hats, so having her is great. But otherwise, it's me and Meghan against the world."
"I want young women to hear my music and understand the messages. There are things that I wish that I knew."Lehigh Valley-based singer, Bren
She said she's also working on new stuff but with much less rage on the brain.
"Up until this point my music has been driven by feelings of sadness, it's very angsty," she said. "I feel like it's time to challenge myself. Those things are easier to write about. Anger burns hot and fast. It's easy to grab onto.
"But I've also lived a bit more life now. There's other things I want to write about. I've been in really great relationships, I've moved a lot.
"I have a family history that I'm learning about, so there's a lot more I want to explore. And the world is crazy right now....there's no shortage of material."
For more information on Bren, go to her website.