In celebration of Earth Day, internationally revered folk-soul ensemble Rising Appalachia commemorates the tenth anniversary of their landmark album Wider Circles with a poignant and timely digitally remastered re-release, debuting an unreleased track “All Fence and No Doors,” new artwork ties into the full-circle aftermath of Hurricane Helene, and a bundle of local Appalachian-influenced merchandise available on April 25, 2025. Listen to the digitally remastered edition of Wider Circles HERE.
Originally released in 2015, Wider Circles marked a major artistic and geographical expansion for the band. “It was the beginning of what we now call the Slow Music Movement,” reflects vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder Leah Song. “We toured the album by train and sailboat, carried these songs into prisons, across borders, and into the heart of communities grappling with ecological and cultural resilience.”
Wider Circles has songs tied into the group’s travels across Italy and through Ireland down into Latin America into the BriBri tribes of Costa Rica, and deep roots to their home in the American South between Appalachia, Atlanta, and New Orleans. It features love letters to North Carolina, a tribute to Ralph Stanley, spoken word by Theresa Davis, traditional Appalachian songs like "Bright Morning Stars," and some of our originals that have become the most beloved of our entire collection cherished by the band and fans alike such as “Medicine,” “Wider Circles,” “Invitation”, and “Novels of Acquaintance.”
Reflecting on the band’s journey and their trajectory since the album’s inception, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founder Chloe Smith reflects, “Time is a slippery beautiful thing you can never quite get a hold of by the tail. Ten years ago we made the album Wider Circles, and as we work on writing our new album, this anniversary feels like something to share and celebrate with our fans. Looking back, we were neck deep in touring and finding our way in the wilds of taking a crack at music for a living as young women—equal parts student, activist, folk singer. This particular body of work felt like a large culmination of the many influences we picked up along our route. Wider Circles was a moment in our artistic path that was deeply inspired by the timeless work of Joanna Macy and her translation of Rilkes poem “Widening Circles.’ The song and the album's theme is meant to address the necessity of open dialogues and perspectives in times of severance and severity.”
Now, in the wake of Hurricane Helene that devastated parts of their Southern Appalachian community in September 2024, Wider Circles resonates louder than ever with the proverbial circles widening to the destruction and silver linings that occur through natural disasters.
Central to the re-release is “All Fence and No Doors,” an unreleased studio track written years prior during the band’s time in New Orleans that was facing their own hardships after Hurricane Katrina. “The lyrics have always echoed our concern for environmental justice,” says Leah. “But after the storm, the meaning changed. Lines like ‘all this water coming after me’ and ‘I don’t have enough water to drink’ became chillingly literal. This song felt like the right sound to add to this body of work, and almost feels timeless. Recorded at Echo Mountain in Asheville, North Carolina many years back, this new version feels as if it was always a part of this album.”
The track was mixed by longtime engineer Julian Dreyer whose own studio was impacted by the flooding, and features the newest full time band member Duncan Wickel on cello alongside David Brown on guitar, and Biko Casini on percussion.
The re-release also features hauntingly stunning artwork by Asheville-based woodblock printmaker Ashley McGrath, whose studio was destroyed in the floods. Leah discovered one of Ashley’s prints washed up in the River Arts District during a community cleanup. “The print was covered in mud, but something about it struck me. We tracked down the artist and I knew I wanted to work with her,” Leah recounts. “It felt like serendipity—art and nature, destruction and renewal, all in one.”
In honor of Earth Day and the re-release of Wider Circles, Rising Appalachia is releasing a limited edition collection of merch that includes the album on vinyl, a hand-screened poster, tote bag and bandana featuring McGrath’s new artwork her and the band designed exclusively for the re-release, and Southern Appalachian wildflower seed packets curated by Sow True Seed in Asheville, NC. Vinyl & merch can be purchased HERE.
“It feels like this album, which helped define our voice as a band, has come full circle. What started as a celebration of roots, movement, and resilience is now a reflection of how those values sustain us through crisis,” adds Chloe.
To purchase the Wider Circles 10th anniversary merch bundle and learn more about Rising Appalachia, please visit: risingappalachia.com.
