The life of a touring artist isn’t for the weak. As most fans and musicians are aware, artistic preservation demands a break from time to time to make space for re-centering, writing, and relaxing. With that, it only made sense when globally recognized Americana and world folk ensemble Rising Appalachia announced that they’d be taking a creative sabbatical from the road to work on new music.
With several weeks into their global travel rest, frontwomen sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith have announced their upcoming album, Folk and Anchor. The project will see the group release an all-new collection of thoughtful reimaginings of cover songs spanning the likes of Bob Dylan, James Blake, Erykah Badu, Beyonce, and beyond. Due out May 17th, Folk and Anchor will showcase the group’s eclectic style, inviting old and new listeners into a rich musical journey.
“We grew up immersed in a musical family, and our songwriting and performance has been deeply influenced by so many Americana genres over the years,” says Leah Song.
“We wanted to create a body of work where all those influences could be showcased under one roof…As folk musicians, we have always been inspired by public music that is not our own. Along with songwriting, we have always played tunes and traditionals from Appalachia, Ireland, and beyond. With this album we were inspired to branch out and do our spin on some different styles of music, ranging from pop to folk to soul. The artists we chose to cover are both contemporary favorites as well as people we grew up listening to and adoring. It has been a treat to sit back in Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, NC and work on these renditions of beloved songs.”
With a month out from the full album release, Rising Appalachia has released the first single, “The Bones.” Originally recorded by Maren Morris and Hozier, the new single is accompanied by a music video that sees the group harmonizing in their hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.
As Leah and Chloe continue settling into their artistic rest in the mountains of Asheville, they have compiled a personal travel guide to this little Appalachian city. From breweries to mountain hikes, scroll down to see personal recommendations ahead of the group’s Summer Solstice Soiree at Salvage Station on June 8th. Tickets and additional information can be found here.
Best Place To Caffeinate In The Morning: Dobra TeaHouse
We love Dobra TeaHouse for its ambiance and tucked away coziness. Their tea selection is divine and worldly and the cafe is a perfect place to quietly reflect or work on a project with a warm mug of herbal sweetness. Try the Shakti-tea!
How To Spend A Proper Afternoon in Asheville: Our Favorite Independent Bookstores
We are usually out and about in the woods around these mountains more than in town, foraging or cold plunging or taking in the splendor of birdsong in the green hills. For town we can get lost in Malaprops Bookstore for hours on end in literary bliss, perusing their immaculate selections of fiction novels or how-to books. We are big supporters of independent bookstores. Firestorm is also an amazing one over in West Asheville.
Best Place To Grab A Bite To Eat: Zambra
Zambra is our go to. Incredible tapas, underground aesthetic, low lit and romantic, great wine selection. We also love Benne on Eagle for its incredible brunch menu.
Best Brewery In The 828: The Wedge
The Wedge! Always and forever old school. We love them because they are the original brewery in Asheville. The iron work around the brewery is incredible and the river arts district is steezy and pleasing on the eye for an artist.
Favorite Hiking Trails: Craggy Gardens/Shining Rock
We are sneaky about this and won’t share our favorite so as to keep the trails we love quiet…however…some more well known ones we love are Craggy Gardens during the autumnal season and the hike up to Shining Rock via the Art Loeb trail. There are so many great trails in every direction of this mountain region. What a treasure to spend a day in the woods.
Best Place To See Live Music: Salvage Station
Salvage Station for outdoor live music…kudos to our sound engineer Scarekrow that runs sound there. It’s right on the river which is a sweet spot to listen to music in town. They have ample parking and it’s an old salvage yard so it’s rustic and charming. We also love the Grey Eagle for more intimate shows. They are a staple of the Asheville music scene and have been for many years, so it’s important to support businesses who have been here for a long time amidst the insane growth of this town. Lastly, the LEAF Festival is a gem of a music and arts event here and we have been going since we were babies.
What Do You Want People To Know About Asheville?
We recommend Asheville city council and residents to help this town grow smart and not fast. With so many people moving to the area, there is a high need for bike lanes, affordable housing, and water management to name a few. There are tons of good people working on these agendas locally so get involved if you love living in this town!
Pre-order or pre-save the band’s new album ahead of its May release here.