Indie folk singer-songwriter Annabelle Dinda is the latest artist to step onto the historic stage of New York City’s Cherry Lane Theatre for A24’s Sound Check at Cherry Lane Theatre series, delivering a stripped-back performance that highlights the emotional honesty and understated songwriting that have quickly made her one of indie music’s most compelling new voices.
Directed by Jack Alexander Cohen, the newly released session features live performances of “Gunpoint, Headlock,” “The Hand,” and Dinda’s latest single, “Whatever You Wanna.” The performance follows recent installments featuring Blood Orange and Grace Ives, with additional sessions from Quiet Light and other artists expected in the coming months.
For listeners discovering Annabelle Dinda for the first time, the Philadelphia-born musician has emerged as one of indie folk’s fastest-rising artists through quietly devastating songwriting that prioritizes intimacy over spectacle. After relocating to New York City to study storytelling through music and language at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Dinda developed a style built around conversational lyricism, delicate arrangements, and emotionally transparent performances.
Those qualities are on full display throughout the Cherry Lane Theatre session. Recorded inside the newly restored Off-Broadway venue, the performance strips away studio production in favor of a raw presentation that allows every lyric and subtle vocal inflection to take center stage. The minimalist setting complements Dinda’s songwriting, creating an experience that feels less like a concert film and more like an invitation into the emotional world of her music.
The session primarily draws from Dinda’s acclaimed 2026 album, Some Things Never Leave, released in January. Written from her apartment on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and recorded in Greenpoint with producer Jacob Portrait (Alex G, Orville Peck, Unknown Mortal Orchestra), the album explores memory, vulnerability, and emotional permanence through sparse indie folk production and deeply personal storytelling.
The album has steadily expanded Dinda’s audience throughout the year, led by breakout single “The Hand,” which has now surpassed 50 million streams. Its success helped establish Some Things Never Leave as one of the standout indie folk releases of 2026 while introducing Dinda’s songwriting to a rapidly growing international audience.
The inclusion of “Whatever You Wanna” alongside album favorites also suggests the artist is already looking toward the next phase of her creative evolution, blending newer material with the songs that first connected with listeners.
Dinda’s momentum has extended well beyond streaming platforms. Earlier this year she completed her own North American headline tour while also supporting Lola Young across the United Kingdom. This summer she joins Noah Kahan for his North American stadium tour, introducing her music to some of the largest audiences of her career and further solidifying her place among indie folk’s most promising emerging artists.
The Sound Check at Cherry Lane Theatre series has quickly become an important platform for artists whose music thrives in intimate environments. Produced by A24, A24 Music, GILBARA, and Cherry Lane Theatre, the series showcases musicians performing on one of New York City’s most historic stages with minimal production and maximum focus on the songs themselves.
The venue itself carries significant cultural history. Originally opened more than a century ago, Cherry Lane Theatre is recognized as New York City’s oldest Off-Broadway theater. After being acquired by A24 in 2023, the 166-seat space underwent an extensive renovation before reopening in 2025 with upgraded production facilities, restored historic elements, and the addition of Wild Cherry, a new restaurant from acclaimed restaurateurs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr, the team behind Frenchette, Le Rock, and Le Veau d’Or.
Since launching the series with performances from Tame Impala, Mark William Lewis, and Model/Actriz, A24 has continued expanding the Sound Check catalog into one of the most thoughtfully curated live performance series online. Each installment emphasizes artistry over production spectacle, allowing performers to reinterpret their music within the intimate confines of the historic theater.
For Annabelle Dinda, the performance serves as another milestone in a breakout year defined by critical acclaim, growing streaming numbers, and increasingly high-profile touring opportunities. As Some Things Never Leave continues finding new listeners and stadium audiences prepare to discover her music alongside Noah Kahan, Sound Check at Cherry Lane Theatre captures an artist at a pivotal moment, presenting her songs in their most honest and vulnerable form.
Featured image credit: Annabelle Dinda Instagram
