Leah and Chloe Smith came of age in the cultural stew that is modern Atlanta, but their musical souls are of another, older time. Compliments of their mother, these sisters that make up two-thirds of the folk trio Rising Appalachia were raised with old-time Appalachian music in their Georgian home. The influence of their mother’s fiddling is evident in Leah and Chloe’s music, where clawhammer banjo and fiddle mingle with the sisters’ rich harmonies and the percussion work of the band’s third member, Forrest Kelly. Also found in the music of Rising Appalachia are hints of rhythm and blues, world music, and even hip hop and soul. Though seemingly incongruous, these many genres are seamlessly blended in Rising Appalachia’s songs.

Rising Appalachia recently released “Scale Down,” their second record. The new album offers the band’s take on traditional Appalachian classics like “Raleigh and Spencer,” “The Blackest Crow,” and “Honey Baby Blues.” The band explores the world of Bulgarian folk music with their rendition of “Nikola,” while originals like Leah’s “Gone Fishin’” and Chloe’s “Unraveled” show off each sister’s respective songwriting prowess. On “Scale Down” Rising Appalachia proves that there is nothing wrong with mixing a little bit of the new with a music that is so very old.

-Dave Stallard