Making art + media in the mountains since 1969.

Founded in 1974, June Appal Recordings has distributed mountain music over a period of time in which the very definition of what it means to be “mountain music” has grown and evolved.

 

The first album ever released on our label was by Nimrod Workman, who was the subject of an Appalshop film the following year by Scott Faulkner and Anthony Slone. Often breaking out into impromptu performances of traditional ballads and original songs — for which he won a National Heritage Award — Nimrod set the tone for the inventiveness and cultural heft that would typify so many June Appal Recordings.

Nearly 100 albums later, June Appal is still representing artists today. Our latest release, The Gospel by The Local Honeys, dropped in the fall of 2019. The album propelled The Local Honeys on an international tour to take “mountain music” far beyond the geographical confines of Appalachia.

 

Other young artists like Kevin Howard are also still working musicians releasing work today.

In addition to representing independent local artists, we also partner with local and regional organizations like Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, with whom we released a compilation called All Join Hands, a collection of traditional mountain square dance tunes performed by contemporary masters and young artists alike.



Archive

June Appal’s early recordings contain some of the best examples of Appalachian traditional music — a genre that has been foundational to the development of American popular music, as well as being sonically pleasing in its own right.

It’s the mission of the Appalshop archive to conserve and preserve this great body of work. Appalshop’s state-of-the-art archive contains thousands of hours of audio recordings well beyond June Appal’s catalogue. With recordings of tradition bearers who are now deceased alongside legends still alive today, Appalshop’s archive has been integral to the ongoing work of our record label.



Seedtime on the Cumberland

Seedtime’s goal is to be a mirror for mountain people and communities, highlighting our cultural riches and the vibrancy of our region.

Started in 1986, it fast became a summer staple for old-time and bluegrass music. But its lineup has evolved with the region to include acts like Joan Brannon (West African drumming), Cornbread & Tortillas (a fusion band from central and South America, Greece, and Appalachia) and Grits & Soul (soul and blues from the Deep South). Typical Seedtime on the Cumberland schedules now also include a companion punk show in Appalshop’s Boone building across the street.

Alongside music, Seedtime on the Cumberland lineups feature workshops, readings, a show in our art gallery, and a square dance with our neighbors at Carcassonne Square Dance. Seedtime has become a space for regional artists, makers, and craftsmen to showcase their talents and wares with live demonstrations.

 

We broadcast Seedtime on the Cumberland live on the airwaves of our radio station, WMMT 88.7 FM, sending it out to the entire world via wmmt.org. Seedtime is always free and open to the public.



Catalogue

Artists featured on June Appal recordings include James "Pigmeat" Jarrett, the early 20th century Geechee-Cherokee barrelhouse blues pianist; Nate Polly, retired railroad worker and contemporary songwriter; and Lily May Ledford, member of the original Coon Creek Girls — one of the first all-women string bands to appear on radio. 

 

They include Si Kahn, contemporary labor rights activist and folk music legend; Brett Ratliff, contemporary innovator of traditional banjo styles and founder of Kentucky Old-Time Music, Inc.; and James Still, long-term writer-in-residence at Hindman Settlement School.  

 

The June Appal catalogue presents unique pairings like Morgan and Lee Sexton, two masters of mountain banjo styles related by both blood and virtuosity, and Addie Graham, ballad singer and documenter of 19th century railroad songs, whose grandson, Rich Kirby, was himself one of the founders of June Appal Recordings. 

Our catalog represents the breadth of Appalachian music, from old-time traditional to bluegrass and Americana. With almost 100 records released on June Appal Recordings, a wide variety of albums are available in digital, CD, cassette tape, and LP formats.

Title Performer Year
100 Years Farther On Uncle Charlie Osborne 1990
12-String Moonrise John Stanfield 1983
65 Years of Irish Music Michael J. Kennedy 1977
All Join Hands! Traditional Music for Square Dancing Cowan Creek Mountain Music School 2005
Ancient Creek Gurney Norman 1976
Aunt Dinah's Quilting Party New River Boys 1975
Ballads for the Sad Cafe Jack Wright 1977
Banish Misfortune Danglish and Larsen 1978
Banjer Days Various Artists 1999
Been A Long Time Traveling Addie Graham 1978
Blizzard Train Ralph Blizzard & The New Southern Ramblers 1989
Brown Lung Cotton Mill Blues Mountain Musicians Cooperative 1975
Buell Kazee Buell Kazee 1978
Butter Beans Papa Joe Smiddy 2001
Carryin' On: Jack Tales for Children of All Ages Orville Hicks 1990
Cities of Gold Ron Short 1981
Cold & Lonesome on a Train Sparky Rucker 1977
Cold Icy Mountain Brett Ratliff 2008
Come All You Tenderhearted Ginny Hawker & Kay Justice 1993
Crossing the Mountain Line Kevin Howard 2015
Deep in Tradition Tommy Hunter 1975
Dillon Bustin's Almanac Dillon Bustin 1983
Dixie Highway Sign Robin and Linda Williams 1979
Dusty Miller Dusty Miller 1989
Echoes From the Mountainside (A Festival Anthology) Various Artists 1993
Fiddle Ditty Owen 'Snake' Chapman 1990
Fields Where Once We Played The Payroll Boys 1983
Finley J. Brewer, Sr. From Road Mountain, TN Pap Brewer with Gary Brewer & The Kentucky Ramblers 1994
For My Friends of Song Betty Smith 1977
From Earth to Heaven Wry Straw 1978
From the Depths of My Soul Earl Gilmore 1977
Galleynipper J.P. and Annadeene Fraley 1990
Gems Lily May Ledford 2000
Glory to the Meeting House Charlie Stamper 2014
Grandfather's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Roadside Theater 1976
Green Rocky Road Guy Carawan 1977
Harmony Robin and Linda Williams 1981
Headed Back Nate Polly 2018
Heritage James Still & Randy Wilson 1992
Hills & Hollers: Hammered Dulcimer and Guitar Duets Jim Miller 1984
Hits from Home Tom Bledsoe & Rich Kirby 1982
How Can I Keep From Singing? John McCutcheon 1975
Hush My Restless Soul Carla Grover 1995
I've Got the Blues (For My Kentucky Home) Buzzard Rock String Band 1988
In Full Swing Luke Smathers String Band 1981
In the Land of Melody Wade & Julia Mainer 1992
It Just Suits Me David Holt 1981
It's Never Too Late Larry Sparks & The Lonesome Ramblers 1980
Jack Alive! Ray Hicks 1989
Johnny Come Along John Harrod 2017
Jubilee Guy Carawan 1979
Last Chance The Home Folks 1979
Last Chance Rider Bob Martin 1982
Last Possum Up the Tree George Gibson 2000
Life of the Party Metropolitan Blues All Stars 1986
Look at the People Pigmeat Jarrett 1979
Mountain State Music Andrew F. Boarman 1978
Mountain Swing Luke Smathers 1978
Mountain Tales Roadside Theater 1980
New Wood Si Kahn 1975
Oso Special Goose Creek Symphony 1990
Passin' Thru The Garden Nimrod Workman 1974
Precious Memories Bluegrass Meditations 1982
Red Wing I.D. Stamper 1977
Relics & Treasures Charlie Osborne 1985
Road to Home Marion Sumner 1980
Rock Dust Morgan Sexton 1989
Seedtime on the Cumberland Sampler 1990-91 Various Artists 1991
Seedtime on the Cumberland Vol. II Various Artists 1987
Seedtime on the Cumberland Vol. III Various Artists 1998
Shady Grove Morgan Sexton 1992
Shuffle Rag Andy Cohen 1978
Signs & Wonders Kay Justice & Ginny Hawker 1990
Southern Melody Odus Maggard 1995
Sweet Rivers Jean Ritchie 1981
Sycamore Tea Dutch Cove Old Time String Band 1978
The 5th Generation Gary Brewer and Phil Sexton 1997
The Banjo Still Rings Phil Sexton 1995
The Eagle and the Sparrow Jon Sundell 1976
The First of Autumn Danglish and Larsen 1978
The June Appal Recordings Uncle Charlie Osborne 2008
The Local Honeys (Sing the Gospel) The Local Honeys 2019
The Very Day I'm Gone: Songs of Addie Graham Various Artists 2015
The Wind That Shakes the Barley John McCutcheon 1977
They Can't Put It Back Mike Kline and Rich Kirby 1977
Trying Times Metropolitan Blues All Stars 1988
Vocal & Instrumental Blend Plank Road String Band 1978
When The Whistle Blew Rich and the Po' Folk 2010
Whoa Mule Lee Sexton 2001
Wild Hog in the Woods Fred & Jenny Armstrong-Park 1984