It’s no doubt that music has always been one of the greatest platforms to send and spread a message. The art form combined with steps of action not only points out the flaws in the world that need to be brought to the service, but also motivates a younger generation to get involved to make things right.

Now, there is a resurgence of female artists using their voices and media attention to talk about the political climate of today. You have the bold Russian activists Pussy Riot who use punk rock to garner awareness to overthrow the regime combined with public stunts that usually end with police chasing them. Performers and activists like Madame Gandhi who is known for free-bleeding the 2015 London Marathon and releasing songs like “The Future is Female”. Then you have the smooth tones of Leah Song and Chloe Smith who make up Rising Appalachia who carry “harmony into settings of upheaval and discord” and have given back to communities from rebuilding in New Orleans after Katrina to now working on efforts to regenerate the Colorado community.

Through original music, Rising Appalachia founding sisters and bandmates have found their purpose, rooted in the traditions of folk songs, storytelling, and grassroots activism. With their latest single “Resilient” and a tour supporting this theme, it seems like the artists are stronger than ever in their delivery to spread a positive message.

“I am resilient
I trust the movement
I negate the chaos
Uplift the negative
I'll show up at the table again and again and again
I'll close my mouth and learn to listen…”

This fall, their activism and tour aligns with the mission of yerba mate company Guayaki and Guayaki’s artist collective Come to Life. The mate brand is already known for their efforts to give back to the South American rainforests, but now with their music and production arm Come to Life, the team has the chance to align with artists like Rising Appalachia to make a positive impact in local US cities.

Rising Appalachia have been amigos of Guayaki and Come to Life for some time, performing at several Come to Life produced events and creating video and photo projects with the team. The ethos of the sisters are in line with the Guayaki mission, so it was a no-brainer for the artists to get involved in the latest Come to Life: Colorado month-long event series that’s coming to Boulder, Denver, and Fort Collins this September and October. The series features concerts, farm to table feasts, art gatherings, late night dance parties, and action days teaming up with nonprofits to bring awareness to the importance of regenerating communities.

When asked what “regenerating” a community actually means, we were impressed that it encompassed a lot more than raising money for a well-known charity. First off, Guayaki’s mission statement is, “yerba mate culture will power our Market Driven Regeneration™ business model to regenerate ecosystems and create vibrant communities”. So building off that, their music-led Come to Life team, set forth to do that in Colorado by…

  • supporting local farmers to regenerate the ecosystem

  • raising awareness and money for Caring 4 Denver ballot initiative that will raise $45 million per year to fund mental health and addiction services for children and adults to regenerate those afflicted back into society

  • using events to bring awareness to ex-prisoners’ stories and how to transition the once incarcerated back into the community in a beneficial way to regenerate the prison system

  • and, bring meditation and musical performances to prisons to support the idea that everyone deserves the opportunities to follow their dreams

A mouthful that we’re into.

Sure, it’s always nice to know that if you throw money towards something that it’s going to a good cause. But it’s pretty neat to see that cause be a month-long, actually fun event series in our hometown. Colorado, we’re invited to take a step further and join in for the series featuring the message and the uplifting music of Rising Appalachia to help our own community come to life, and we think it’s pretty cool.

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Get the details:

You can meet and watch Rising Appalachia perform several times throughout the series, including 9/27 pre-show gathering at the Phil Lewis Art Gallery, 9/28 at the Boulder Theater, 9/29 at the Mishawaka Amphitheatre, and 10/1 at the Care 4 Denver event on the Auraria Campus.

Into other music? All the meal, music, and art events are listed here.

SEP 8 & SEP 9 CRUSH Walls | RiNo Arts District: Denver (free)
SEP 15 Swaylo Nights | Invisible City: Denver  (tickets)
SEP 24 Guayaki Foundation Art Exhibit | Ozo Coffee, Pearl St: Boulder (free)
SEP 27 Rising Appalachia Pre-Show Gathering | Phil Lewis Gallery: Boulder (free)
SEP 28 Rising Appalachia w/ Lyla June | Boulder Theater: Boulder (tickets)
SEP 29 Rising Appalachia w/ Lyla June | Mishawaka Amphitheatre: Bellvue (tickets)
Oct 1st Caring 4 Denver Convergence Ft. Rising Appalachia | Auraria Campus: Denver, CO (free)
Oct 6th Come to Life: Colorado Music Showcase ft. The Human Experience | Ophelia’s Magic Soapbox: Denver, CO (tickets)
Oct 14th Harvest Party | Sister Gardens: Denver, CO (open to the public)

[All photos provided by Sydney Wooward]