Rising Appalachia

Rising Appalachia

Rising Appalachia is a folk group from New Orleans, United States, active since 2000. The band is led by sisters Chloe Smith and Leah Smith, who also perform under the names Chloe Song and Leah Song.

Sound and approach

The group builds its music around poetic vocal harmonies, soul singing, spoken word, banjo, fiddle, organic bass and groove-based rhythms. Its work also draws in a wide circle of collaborators, with contributions ranging from jazz trumpet and beatboxing to Afro-Cuban percussion, Appalachian fiddling, poetry, burlesque and circus performance. The group presents its music as a way of connecting community, cultural expression and social change.

Career and releases

Rising Appalachia develops its career independently, handling its own management, recording, production and creative direction. It releases five full-length albums independently and maintains a self-directed approach to its work.

Performances and recognition

The group tours across the United States and internationally, with performances in Europe, the Caribbean, Central America and the Indian subcontinent. Its appearances include the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, National Public Radio’s All Songs Considered, Georgia Public Broadcasting, Burning Man, Envision Festival, the Lake Eden Arts Festival, the Edinburgh and New Orleans Fringe Festival, and the Highlander Center 75th Reunion, among many others. It is also named Green Album of the Year by the Huffington Post and Atlanta’s Best Folk Act by Creative Loafing.

Media coverage

Rising Appalachia appears in publications and outlets including Paste, The New York Times, Performer Magazine, Dirty Linen, Sing Out, Georgia Public Broadcasting, Anti-Gravity and Maverick.

Background

Leah and Chloe Smith grow up in the American South, where they hear Appalachian lullabies at night and soul music in the morning. Their parents treat art and music as part of everyday life, and those early influences shape the group’s sound and its interest in building musical connections across local and global communities.