A Project to Benefit the Music Community of Western North Carolina in the Wake of Hurricane Helene’s Devastation.
“The Resonance Sessions,” project trailer
Following the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Asheville, NC-based Parkway Studios, in conjunction with Citizen Vinyl, have announced the release of The Resonance Sessions, a project benefiting the music community of Madison County, NC. Recorded and filmed in the gutted bones of the Old Marshall Jail, the sessions include poignant and uplifting performances by more than 30 Western North Carolina artists such as Rising Appalachia, River Whyless, Avey Tare (Animal Collective), Tyler Ramsey, Scott McMicken (Dr. Dog), Natalie Jane Hill, traditional mountain ballad singers, and more.
On the night of September 27, 2024, winds and rain roared through Western North Carolina as Hurricane Helene arrived with unforeseen force. Marshall, NC — an artists’ haven in the mountains — watched as the early swells quickly grew into a relentless surge until the town was swallowed by the murky waves, which left it encased in toxic mud. Through it all, The Old Marshall Jail stood strong. The flood gauge mounted to the side of the building kept a watchful eye as the water surged from floor to ceiling—27 feet—higher than ever recorded.
Produced by local musician Clay White and film director Aaron Stone (Parkway Studios), The Resonance Sessions was captured live, over a span of four days in early October, in the recently cleaned out stairwell of The Old Marshall Jail. These sessions hold a heartfelt intimacy as each artist, deeply rooted in the community, brings forth a raw, local perspective on resilience.
The performances resonate with emotional intensity, the audio reverberating hauntingly through the space. Room mics capture the jail’s natural acoustics as well as the ambient sounds of tractors and passing military convoys, layering a heavy sense of place into each track. Filming these heartfelt performances was essential to fully capture the spirit of The Resonance Sessions. It demonstrates the raw energy of each performance — the resilience, the pain, and the hope shared by the community.
Artists featured on The Resonance Sessions include Tyler Ramsey, Avey Tare, Scott McMicken and The Ever-Expanding, River Whyless, Zack Kardon, Natalie Jane Hill, Twain, Henry Toland, David Wimbish & The Collection, Slow Runner, of the stars, Pierce Edens, Joshua Carpenter, The Dead Tongues, Sheila Kay Adams, Julie Odell, Slow Packer, The High Divers, Floating Action, William Ritter, Judy Rhodes, Sarah “Songbird” Burkey, Melanie Rice, Donna Ray Norton, Branson Raines, Hilary Rose Scheel, Rising Appalachia, Bridger Dunnagan, Casey Driessen, Soft Talk, Becca Leigh, Night Walks, Infinitikiss, Alice Bradley, Sparrow Smith, and more to be announced.
Preorder the deluxe vinyl package and digital audio on December 12, 2024 on Bandcamp at resonancesessions.bandcamp.com. Net proceeds from the sale of the vinyl and digital tracks will go to the Madison County Arts Council to assist in rebuilding the county’s musical community, and to the nonprofit Rare Bird Cultural Arts for a grant program to offer direct assistance to affected musicians.
Listen to River Whyless’s Sailing Away.
For more information about The Resonance Sessions, visit www.parkwaystudios.com/the-resonance-sessions or contact Molly Nagel-Driessen (molly@yourlittleengine.com).
Learn about Citizen Vinyl at www.citizenvinyl.com. For more on the Old Marshall Jail, visit www.instagram.com/oldmarshalljail.
The production of the vinyl is made possible by the generous support of Blackwing and the Virginia Sargeant Reynolds Foundation.
