Bio and Pictures

photo/artwork: Krystal Wight Armstrong

Inspired by nineties coffeehouse culture, sixties folk-rock, and literary classics, Christine Hand's songs delight the ear and the mind. Her most recent EP, "Girl on a String," chronicles the ups-and-downs of love, but the literary and Biblical allusions of the lyrics, the feel-good classic rock tones in the instrumentation, and Christine’s voice -- at turns ethereal and bluesy, combine to form a unique offering to the folk-rock world.

photo: Connor Roberts

Such a blend is about what you'd expect from a singer-songwriter raised on the music of the 1960s and who wrote much of the EP while working on a PhD in literature. Christine has a habit of spilling a little literature in her music and a little music in her literature, so when it came time to write a doctoral dissertation, she did what any self-respecting singer-songwriter would do: she wrote about Bob Dylan. "Dylan invented the singer-songwriter as we know it, " says Christine (Dr. Jones to her literature students). "Without him, none of us who write and perform would have a model to follow." The Dylan model, however, can be an intimidating one, but this doesn't bother Christine: "The number one thing I learned from Dylan is to be myself and trust myself as an artist. Dylan met his own expectations first no matter how they differed from the expectations of fans or critics."

Photo: Krystal Wight Armstrong

For Christine, ‘being herself’ as an artist means not being afraid to explore all the thematic territory that matters to her. That means not only mixing music and literature, but also mixing covers with originals, the spirit with the senses, and the heart with the mind. “It’s all connected for me,” Christine says. “I’m a singer-songwriter, but I’m also a scholar and a church music leader and a wife and a daughter and a sister. I can’t pretend that all those parts of my life don’t intersect.”

Photo: Connor Roberts

The three band members, including Christine as well as her father, Ed Hand, and her husband, Adam Jones, move beyond their live set-up of 2 acoustic guitars and a keyboard on “Girl on a String.” Seasoned musician, Ed Hand, contributes his signature blues-rock organ solos and intelligent, musical drumming as well as smooth bass lines, piano, background vocals and occasional guitar to the mix on this EP. Adam Jones moves beyond his lyrical acoustic guitar playing to contribute electric guitar, bass, mandolin, and piano. The musical result is a blend as smooth and bold as your favorite espresso, with just a touch of sweetness.

Originally from Fort Worth, TX, Christine has been singing, playing, and recording her original music since 1998 and has three albums to her credit, Flying (1999), Rending the Veil (2002), and More than Make believe (2004). She also enjoys writing for the stage; she composed the music and lyrics for an original Christmas musical performed at Reece Prairie Baptist Church in December 2006 entitled “The Office Christmas Party” and has contributed original musical settings of Shakespearean songs to productions by The Stolen Shakespeare Guild in Fort Worth, TX.

Photo: Michelle Morris

She and her band also enjoy playing weddings and cover shows -- especially shows that involve 60s and 70s rock classics. Each Sunday, Christine and her husband, Adam, can be found leading the music at Highland Baptist Church in Dallas, TX. When she’s not teaching, reading, or getting cozy with a cup of coffee and her two cats, Desmond and Molly Jones, Christine continues to explore life, love, and faith with her pen, her guitar, and a good rhyming dictionary. Christine sums up her approach to songwriting:

“Songwriting, for me, is about capturing ineffable moments, asking big questions, and exploring beauty. These are never-ending pursuits, so I hope that means that I’ll always have something to write a song about.”

photo: Krystal Wight Armstrong