Rising Appalachia will release Leylines, their latest album, on May 3. Leah Song and Chloe Smith, the group’s founding sisters, made an initial splash with their self-titled debut back in 2006 and this is their seventh record. Joe Henry produced Leylines, which the band recorded over 10 days in Marin County, CA. Rising Appalachia’s roster now includes West African musician Arouna Diarra (n’goni, talking drum) and Irish musician Duncan Wickel (fiddle, cello) as well as longtime members David Brown (upright bass, baritone guitar) and Biko Casini (percussion, n’goni). Leylines features guest appearances by  Ani DiFranco, Trevor Hall, and Maurice Turner. The album title references those invisible lines that encircle the globe and are believed to connect various sacred sites with spiritual energy.

Today we premiere “Sunny Days” from the forthcoming record, which is now available for pre-order. Chloe Smith reflects, “We wrote ‘Sunny Days’ as an original acapella song, rooted in the old southern gospel style of singing to the soul with simplicity and reverence.  The imagery we call upon is what we ourselves pray to, nature in her fullest and mightiest form.  High mountains.  Brown rivers.  The rocks and stones where we lay our head and find peace, asking the earth to take away any burdens off the back.  Elemental gospel, if you will, coaxing out that boundless clairvoyance after the storm.” 

This Saturday, April 20, Rising Appalachia will perform a special Earth Day Celebration at Salvage Station in Asheville, NC. CASTANEA also will perform at this Clean Water Benefit hosted by the French Broad Riverkeeper.