Rye Valley

Rye Valley is a heartfelt Americana band rooted in Northeast Ohio. The core duo—Brett Auerbach (vocals, guitar, songwriting) and Landon Kearns (multi-instrumentalist, percussion, harmony vocals)—met at the Silver Swan Tavern’s Northeast Ohio open‑mic scene. What began as a decade-long casual collaboration bloomed into Rye Valley in 2021.

Brett Auerbach is an indie singer-songwriter and guitarist based in Akron, Ohio. Raised in the Cuyahoga Valley, his music draws deep influence from the sounds of Appalachia and the American Midwest. Blending claw-hammer and fingerstyle guitar with open tunings, slide work, and rhythmic tapping, Auerbach crafts a sound rooted in delta blues and Americana, marked by raw emotion and vivid lyrical storytelling.

They call themselves working‑class troubadours from the “valley of the Cuyahoga River,” delivering emotive songwriting sung in soulful tenor with a percussive, intimate musical backdrop—Auerbach’s expressive picking meets Kearns’s rhythmic depth. As the band expanded, Tyler Lobdell (pedal steel/guitar), Kevin Brosien (bass), and Tim Ellinger (drums) brought additional layers, enriching their signature alt-country sound.

Katy Robinson

Akron, Ohio based singer/songwriter Katy Robinson is a product of a large musical family, a thriving local music scene, and a lot of self-motivation. She started playing guitar at 13, and quickly began frequenting area open mics. Her biggest influences include songwriters and storytellers like Brandi Carlile, Jewel, and Bob Dylan, with a little rock ‘n’ roll mixed in. Over the past few years, she has jumped full-force into the music scene. Her folk-pop-rock blend and unique voice combined with her raw and relatable lyrics have landed her area gigs, and she is making waves on local radio. Her second EP, “Gold,” was released in August 2022. You can catch her performing solo, or with her band, The Wanderers.

Kim Haffey

Kim Haffey is a Columbus, OH based singer/songwriter, bassist, and music therapist.  Known for soulful vocals, Kim writes to express her experiences of loss and connection, and covers a wide variety of genres including jazz, folk, and pop.  Vicki Hamm is a multifaceted, award winning, Cleveland based cellist who has played with Kim since undergrad at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory in various bands and ensembles.