Producing Rising Appalachia

Joe has spent his time at Stinston Beach SF, taking again the producer's seat. This time for Rising Appalachia

Led by the collective voice of sisters Leah and Chloe, and joined by their beloved band – percussionist Biko Casini and bassist/guitarist David Brown – Rising Appalachia is a melting pot of folk music simplicity, textured songwriting, and those bloodline harmonies that only siblings can pull off.

They bring to the stage a collection of sounds, stories, and songs steeped in tradition and a devotion to world culture. Intertwining a deep reverence for folk music and a passion for justice, they have made it their life’s work to sing songs that speak to something ancient yet surging with relevance. Whether playing at Red Rocks or in rail cars, at Italian street fairs or to Bulgarian herbalists, this fiercely independent band has blazed a unique and colorful path across the globe. 11 years into their movement, Rising Appalachia believes that the roots of all these old songs are vital to our ever evolving soundscape.

Here are some words from Rising Appalachia about this recording : 

There is no one we could have been more thankful for or inspired to work alongside. He listened to every take with cunning ear, sat through over 70 hours of live tracking, called forth the absolute finest in each of us, made room for the muses, & just generally held the role of “mystic” in the BIG seat of “producer” (NOT an easy task to combine those roles. Nor are we an easy band, full of our own headstrong madness and prowess!). And PLUS he out-dressed all of us for a whole week

We were cautious, nervous, unsure if we would feel like we “sold out” to an industry we have, by design, resisted. We courted the process slowly, and up until the last second we were skeptical about what this person would actually DO to our rustic, raw, and rebellious sound.
We were not an easy sell.

Joseph Lee Henry, a hat tipped off to you & a deep bow. You wrangled perhaps the most beautiful work out of us up to date & we incredibly inspired by the process you evoked. 

It took us many many MANY years to welcome another soul into our creative process. 13 to be exact exact...13 years where Chloe and I have conceptualized, produced, mixed, mastered, arranged, designed, tracked & touched EVERY single step of our recordings. We have taken deep pride in that laborious and mired process; the intense love & labor of birthing new work into the world. This time we opened our doors tentatively to a “producer”... a big wig in the studio with us. An outside ear to help guide and steer our song-babies. We were cautious, nervous, unsure if we would feel like we “sold out” to an industry we have, by design, resisted. We courted the process slowly, and up until the last second we were skeptical about what this person would actually DO to our rustic, raw, and rebellious sound. We were not an easy sell. 👁 👁 👁 Meet Joe Henry: in fact a legend, a true genius at his craft, some strange combo of John O’Donhue, Duke Ellington, Rasputin, & Tom Waits...with the soul of Billy Holiday & the eye of Frank Sinatra. He is an actual wizard! There is no one we could have been more thankful for or inspired to work alongside. He listened to every take with cunning ear, sat through over 70 hours of live tracking, called forth the absolute finest in each of us, made room for the muses, & just generally held the role of “mystic” in the BIG seat of “producer” (NOT an easy task to combine those roles. Nor are we an easy band, full of our own headstrong madness and prowess!). And PLUS he out-dressed all of us for a whole week 🎩 Joseph Lee Henry, a hat tipped off to you & a deep bow. You wrangled perhaps the most beautiful work out of us up to date & we incredibly inspired by the process you evoked. Glad to be joining your ranks of greatness alongside : TBone Burnett, Joan Baez, Solomon Burke, Bonnie Rait, Allen Toussaint, Aaron Neville, Meshell Ndegeocello, Salif Keita, Ani Difranco, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Madonna, Rambling Jack Elliot, Betty Levette, Liz Wright, and so many other proud musicians who have called you into their process. You are a wild legend. @joehenrymusic #risingappalachia #newalbumintheworks #joehenry

Een bericht gedeeld door Rising Appalachia (@risingappalachia) op 21 Jun 2018 om 11:59 (PDT)