The wheels are turning at Appalshop this fall, and we have plenty of new releases and updates to share with you. We are proud to premier Nik Lee’s newest short film, Strings. This is the second installment (following the Summer release of Magenta) in what Nik hopes to be a trilogy–telling a story about climate disaster, archival preservation, and ultimately, the importance of memories. Read the description for Strings below.
“The largest Appalachian media archive in the world faces the aftermath of a 1000-year flood. Archive technician Shane Terry and documentary filmmaker Tom Hansell patch together new works from the remains of Appalshop’s flooded film and audio tapes. As the archive finds new ways to repurpose unsalvageable media, another Appalshop filmmaker struggles to come to terms with his own flooded memories.”
“In a disaster, you think about whether your family is safe, where you’ll go next, the essentials. You don’t necessarily think about pictures or a camcorder,” Lee states. “In Strings, Shane’s passion project is salvaging flooded archival tapes so he and Tom Hansell can create something new. Mine is getting my own family tapes clean, so I can see them for the first time, so I can give them back to my mom, so she can keep them and eventually pass them back on to my brother and me.”
Featherbed is out now!
We are also happy to share that Featherbed, the collaborative album from Sarah Kate Morgan & Leo Shannon, is out now! This 7-song album covers an incredible range of old-time fiddler and dulcimer tunes. Featherbed is available for streaming just about anywhere you might stream music. You can purchase the digital album or CD on our Bandcamp page, and orders are shipping now. We were thrilled to see Featherbed top the bluegrass charts on Bandcamp on release day, and to find the audience we know this album deserves.
Sarah Kate and Leo will be joining Watchhouse on the Atlanta, Nashville, and Richmond (KY) dates of their upcoming tour from November 7-9. If you’re in one of those areas and would like to see them perform songs from Featherbed live, visit Watchhouse’s website for more details and ticketing information.
They’ll also be performing in Louisville on November 16 with Bonnie Prince Billy and Grace Rogers in a fundraiser concert for WMMT (full details are below in this newsletter!)
WMMT Fundraiser in Louisville!
Louisville folks—We’re celebrating WMMT’s birthday with a special fundraiser concert in Louisville on Sunday 11/16 at The Woodbine Chamber! 
Enjoy live music from a whole slew of WMMT friends, including Bonnie Prince Billy, Grace Rogers, Sarah Kate Morgan and Leo Shannon.
Doors open at 4 PM | Music starts at 4:30 PM
Make a $25+ donation in advance using the QR code or this link https://loom.ly/F2DZzL8 — or donate at the door for entry. (Note: Please bring your proof of donation with you!)
All proceeds will help WMMT continue broadcasting in the wake of recent government cuts and the loss of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supported WMMT’s operations.
Come celebrate and support your favorite community-led radio station with an evening of great music and good company!
Appalshop Archive Minute: Ghost Stories from the Archive
The Appalshop Archive Minute is a weekly audio piece produced for Appalshop’s community radio station, WMMT, using flood-salvaged materials from its vast media collection. In the latest episode, Appalshop Archive Director Chad Hunter introduces and shares footage from an early 90’s AMI film entitled “Haints”; where a number of people share their personal stories and experiences with the supernatural. You can find the episode on Appalshop’s Youtube or airing on WMMT-FM.
October’s Pay-What-You-Want Album
We’re in the final days of October’s Pay-What-You-Want album from the June Appal Recordings catalog; Sparky Rucker’s Cold & Lonesome on a Train.
James “Sparky” Rucker has been singing songs and telling stories from the American tradition for over forty years. During his career as a folksinger and social activist, he has been on the boards of Sing Out! magazine, the John Henry Memorial Foundation, and the Southern Folk Cultural Revival Project. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with his wife, musician Rhonda Rucker, with whom he has performed throughout the U.S.
Stream or download the album (for any price you want!) on June Appal’s Bandcamp page.
