Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
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Asheville-based Rising Appalachia will celebrate their new, crowd-funded album on Saturday with a show at New Mountain AVL. The quartet, featuring sisters Leah and Chloe, mash up Appalachian folk and global funk to create their unique sound, which has been wowing Asheville crowds for years. (Remember them packing out Bobo Gallery? Seen them rocking LEAF?)
The band tours relentlessly while maintaining a fierce independence. They do good works around the world. And now they’re based in Asheville. I can’t think of a band that better represents the Asheville ethos of world-conscious spirituality, sustainability, creative spirit and local love.
Here’s the press release:
Present day troubadours, Leah Song and Chloe Smith, drew from a melting pot of genres when compiling the 15-track Wider Circles album.
With influences of folk, soul, roots, world music, and poetry, the album showcases the alchemy of sibling harmonies paired with banjo and fiddle duets. Joined by full-time band members Biko Casini (world percussion) and David Brown (stand-up bass / baritone guitar), Wider Circles was inspired by folk standards and traditional hymns, old mountain odes, and activist anthems that pull equally from the swampy sounds of the bayou and the contemporary twang of the Appalachian mountains.
“The album is a deep reflection of the many influences and experiences we have intimately lived and have built our songs on,“ explains Leah. “Wider Circles is a subtle and powerful folk anthem.”
The album’s release also signifies a new chapter in Rising Appalachia’s “Slow Music Movement” approach to touring – an effort to promote sustainable touring practices and to be immersed in local communities.
“It’s an effort to take the glitz and glam out of the music industry and bring performance back to its roots. A place where musicians are not just part of fast-paced entertainment, but instead influence the cultural shift as troubadours, activists, and catalysts of justice,” explains Leah.
The “Slow Music Movement” encourages musicians to try out ‘non-industry standard’ ways of bringing music into the world by “linking to local communities and staying with local friends; pursuing alternative venues for performances and supporting local businesses with farm-to-table hospitality; providing local non-profits at each show a platform to display information; exploring alternative methods of travel including train, bike, low impact vehicles, boat, horse, or simply focusing on regional touring; and encouraging concert goers to take in more than just the catharsis of the music.”
For more information about Rising Appalachia, visit www.RisingAppalachia.com.
Rising Appalachia FB event for New Mountain show.
Rising Appalachia tour dates:
6/18/15 – Greensboro, NC – Carolina Theatre
6/19/15 – Charlottesville, VA – The Jefferson Theatre
6/20/15 – Hedgesville, WV – Mad Tea Party Festival
7/3-7/4 – Quincy, CA – High Sierra Music Festival
7/16/15 – North Plains, OR – Northwest String Summit
7/18-7/19 – Vancouver, Canada – Vancouver Folk Music Festival
