Music and the Fight for the Soul of Appalachia

Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, and Nicholas Jamerson are at the forefront of Appalachian artists that are fighting for the soul of the region.

---

There is a war going on all over this country with opioids, but it may not be more prevalent anywhere else than it is in the Appalachian Mountain region of Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. There is a depression that has been virtually ignored since the coal business slowly started dying and in turn has created issues with city governments not having the funds for routine maintenance on things most of us take for granted. See, when I hear “coal” I think of jobs, mortgages being paid, food on a table, and keeping the lights on. For a lot of the population that isn’t surrounded by hard working miners, they’re number one thought is pollution. It’s not that we love coal and want to ignore the effects it has on our loved one’s health and the environment we live in, it’s just that there are families that depend on the industry and they depend on it, because there isn’t a lot else to do. Especially in Eastern KY, where we don’t have factories or other business’ fighting to set up shop. The decline of the industry has paralyzed so many families and with no other options they’re turning to welfare and pills. These hardships, whether experienced from afar or first hand, are what has made the area a breeding ground for some of the most amazing music your ears will ever have the pleasure of hearing. It's never been easy in Appalachia, but with crooked politicians and mind numbing pain medicine, the hope is dying for some. You can hear it in the music of Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, and Nicholas Jamerson when they beg for an ear to hear and for the people to come together for the good of all involved. Behind the scenes these artists and many others like them, regional and national, are doing their damndest to bring awareness to the area and its ongoing issues. Just last week Tyler held a benefit concert for Martin Co, KY for a tragic water issue that has been going on for years. The residents have been without water clean enough to even bathe in and in a lot of cases none at all. Healing Appalachia was a concert held earlier this year, in West Virginia, to benefit those fighting addiction in the area, Tyler and fellow Kentuckian Justin Wells were on the bill. That takes me to Nicholas Jamerson, former one half of regional fan favorite Sundy Best, who is involved with Christian Appalachia Project as well as AppHarvest, a greenhouse farming company that is hoping to bring many jobs to the area. It's spearheaded by 2 Kentuckians and 1 Brooklynite, and honorary Kentuckian, former University of Kentucky Basketball star Ramel Bradley. I'm not sure there has been a more soulful expression of love and hope for the Appalachian region than on Nick's debut full length 'NJ', a beautiful album full of scenery, sadness, love, and hope. 'It's a Long Way to Wheelwright' speaks about missing the days of traveling to a neighboring small town that at one point was doing very well, but has fallen to the wayside. A line in the song sums up this article well "A boom town as a young'n, and a ghost town as a man", which can apply to most of the region since the coal companies got what they needed and split town. That poses the question "How do we fix it?" One thing that has helped is hemp, Kentucky isn't just the best place to make bourbon, it's soil is one of the best to grow hemp and, hopefully in the near future, marijuana. It's something that our state has to take advantage of for the many families that are struggling to find work. The struggle in Appalachia has produced some amazing music, but I know the scenery and bond these people have with one another will keep that tradition going, what we need to do is elect officials with this area firmly in their crosshairs and put our hands to the plow.

https://youtu.be/SDka7vO10L8

https://youtu.be/gnx5i6AeMr8

https://youtu.be/QNNLs6g62EQ

appharvest.com

tylerchildersmusic.com

nicholasjamerson.com