Photo Credit: Pete Broussard
Rising Appalachia is a folk duo made up of sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith. Along with recording topical folk music they are involved with the Rise Collective which blends social activism with cultural events. This is a part of what they coined the “Slow Music Movement”, which is an effort to turn their music into a public service. At their concerts they have at least two non-profits and they try to support local initiatives that are taking place in the communities they’re performing in.
They recently released a new single and video, “Resilient”. In a statement made to NPR Music, Leah Song stated the following about the poignant tune: “”‘Resilient’ is a testimony to our witnessing, time and time again, grassroots movements around the world THRIVING and continuing to build a powerful allegiance that defies divisiveness. It’s about Standing Rock, it is about the Prison justice movement, it is about urban mural projects and bike cooperatives and re-wilding efforts and front porch gardens… it is about land preservation and indigenous rights and the crossroads between arts, justice and tradition.”