CR 072: Leah Song on the Healing Power of Music

The Rising Appalachia co-frontwoman discusses how the arts helped her in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Chloe Smith and Leah Song, photo by Chad Hess

In May 2024, I had the pleasure of interviewing Leah Song, co-frontwoman (along with her sister, Chloe Smith) of the folk music group Rising Appalachia. At the time, Song was celebrating the recent release of Folk & Anchor, Rising Appalachia’s first album of cover songs, and looked forward to taking their first-ever lengthy break—what she was describing as a year-long “creative sabbatical.”

But just four months later, Hurricane Helene swept through the western Appalachia region and decimated much of Song’s North Carolina hometown. In the weeks and months that followed, she posted updates of the aftermath on Instagram. Her social media feed was a window into the tragedy that occurred, as well as the beauty that unfolded when community members gathered to reconnect and rebuild, using art as a ballast.

I recently caught up with Song to discuss the hurricane’s impact, how music helped her navigate that challenging period, and what advice she has …