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Rising Appalachia: Carnival-Folk and the Banjo Sisters

Sisters Leah and Chloe Smith grew up in the bosom of the Southern Appalachian music renaissance. Born to a fiddlin' mother and a folk-sculptor father, they were raised with old-time mountain melodies as their lullabies. But, having also grown up amidst the underground hip hop and spoken word movements of the urban South, the group has heavy influences in indie-folk, vintage jazz, political hip hop, and roots music from around the world.

Rising Appalachia's eerie banjo originals, gritty lyrics and effortless sister harmonies are compared to that of Ani Difranco, The Be Good Tanyas, and even Bjork. Playing a fiddle, banjo, kalimba, and boudrhan, (with guests on the bass, trumpet, djembe, and more) the group Rising Appalachia offers a fresh, raw approach to a beautiful old tradition. With vocal prowess that only sisters could boast, fantastic story telling from their many years on the road, a enchanting versatility of mellow lullabies, and a dynamic rhythmic groove, this group can captivate any kind of audience.

They have traveled extensively from Guatemala to Slovenia, from Canada to Spain, offering their music and tradition as a way to connect cultures. According Leah, the newest, artfully-crafted 15-track album, Scale Down has taken one step further into their avant-garde, carnival soul.

"Music has become our tool...not just for aural pleasure, not just for hobby-but now as a means to connect with something beyond ourselves. It has taken on its own personality, carrying us all along on the journey down damp alley ways and cryptic coded pathways... to poetic observations, social changes, lyrical nonsense, political rage, symphonic coercing, ferocious bantering, bicycles, train tracks, primal will, fresh air intoxicants, harmony, alliteration, noise, and something sweeter than I can ever touch."

For booking and demo material, please contact:
www.myspace.com/risingappalachia
e-mail: risingappalachia@gmail.com