When you’ve traveled the world and toured as much as Rising Appalachia, that influence is bound to reflect in the art you create. We mean that in a musical sense, as well as in the certain enlightened sense of togetherness — the feeling that we are all one — that they inspire in their live performances.

This past Sunday night, we got to experience that first-hand when Rising Appalachia came to Nashville in support of their new album, Leylines.

The band — fronted and founded by sisters Leah and Chloe Smith — presented this wonderful phase in its evolution to a jam-packed room at The Basement East. The Smith sisters were joined by bandmates David Brown (upright bass, baritone guitar), Biko Casini (world percussion, n’goni), Arouna Diarra (n’goni, talking drum) and Duncan Wickel (fiddle, cello) for a multifaceted evening of musicianship. The band displayed the undeniable chemistry that has become its calling card, and which was further galvanized during the Leylines recording process, when the band lived, worked, and played for 10 days together in the Marin County, CA studio of esteemed producer Joe Henry.

Opening the evening was New York-based singer-songwriter Raye Zaragoza, whose engaging presence and well-crafted, world-aware songs were received warmly by those in attendance. Zaragoza arrived to Nashville to deliver a message; one informed by her multicultural heritage and her unique perspective on current affairs.

Have yourself a look through our lens at this incredible evening below!