{"id":64087,"date":"2026-05-07T16:51:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:51:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/emily-scott-robinson-is-a-mountain-muse-on-her-new-album-appalachia\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T16:51:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:51:44","slug":"emily-scott-robinson-is-a-mountain-muse-on-her-new-album-appalachia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/emily-scott-robinson-is-a-mountain-muse-on-her-new-album-appalachia\/","title":{"rendered":"Emily Scott Robinson Is a Mountain Muse on Her New Album &#8216;Appalachia&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tIf you ask singer-songwriter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/t\/emily-scott-robinson\/\" id=\"auto-tag_emily-scott-robinson\" data-tag=\"emily-scott-robinson\">Emily Scott Robinson<\/a> to give you the elevator pitch for her new batch of music, she\u2019d suggest, \u201cVery sorrowful, yet very uplifting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cFor my music, and for this album? That would probably be it,\u201d Robinson tells <em>Rolling Stone<\/em> during a call from her home in the high desert prairie of southwest Colorado. \u201cIt\u2019s finding the joy, the meaning, and the beauty through the heaviest times. That was really the lesson of the last five years in my personal life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tWithin that period, Robinson went through a divorce, lost friends and family members, got engaged, became a stepparent, and released <em>Appalachia, <\/em>her latest LP out via Oh Boy Records.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cI have witnessed funerals and wars\/Worried mothers, empty shelves, and empty stores,\u201d Robinson sings in the tender track \u201cThe Time for Flowers. \u201cThe storms will rage and the winds will blow\/You are gonna find out that you\u2019re stronger than you know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tPart cathartic cleansing of her heart and soul, part love letter to western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which tore through the region in 2024, the record flows like the ancient French Broad River itself, a mighty rhythm of tones and depths.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cThe grief of change and aging and watching the world change in the ways that it is, and also the depth of love that brings gratitude for the things that are beautiful and meaningful in life\u2026,\u201d the 38-year-old says. \u201cIt feels like I\u2019ve been expanding my ability to hold both ends of that spectrum. And one of the ways I\u2019ve been able to do that is doing it in song and writing about those experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tCaptured by producer Josh Kaufman and recording engineer D. James Goodwin at Dreamland Recording Studios in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, <em>Appalachia <\/em>achieves what many great Americana and indie-folk albums do by rooting itself in timeless, ethereal melodies and sonic textures.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Emily Scott Robinson - Hymn for the Unholy (Official Music Video)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WxrpWFc6qh8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cI\u2019ll waltz you all around the room\/My first of May magnolia bloom,\u201d Robinson duets with John Paul White on \u201cCast Iron Heart.\u201d \u201cMy sunset girl, my pretty bride\/With lines around your hazel eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ editors-pick-module lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tRaised in Greensboro, North Carolina, Robinson\u2019s lifelong love of story and place was deeply influenced by her mother, who was a local journalist. Her introduction to singing came as a teenager, where she\u2019d run through folk songs around a campfire at summer camp in Michigan. Upon returning home, she borrowed her mom\u2019s guitar and started practicing. She was hooked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tAttending college at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, Robinson would wander over the nearby state line into North Carolina, absorbing all she could when it came to the musical, artistic, and cultural traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She also found herself participating in numerous bluegrass and folk music circles across the Tar Heel State.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cI majored in history in college. I loved history because it was storytelling, and it was also the study of what stories get told,\u201d Robinson says. \u201cWhere can we find all the stories being told, how do we preserve them? And I feel it\u2019s a great privilege to get to preserve people and stories and songs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tAfter graduation, Robinson moved to Colorado and became a social worker. At 26, she was encouraged by a friend to take a songwriting retreat. It was there where Robinson had the epiphany that she was in fact an artist and performer. By 2016, her debut album, <em>Magnolia Queen<\/em>, arrived, with the follow-ups <em>Traveling Mercies<\/em> (2019) and <em>American Siren<\/em> (2021) both landing on <em>Rolling Stone<\/em>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-country-lists\/40-best-country-and-americana-albums-of-2019-920497\/emily-scott-robinson-traveling-mercies-920528\/\">year-end lists<\/a> of the Best Country and Americana Albums.<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ recirculation-modules lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cOne of things you get to do as a songwriter is have the ability to shine a light on this <em>one thing<\/em> today,\u201d Robinson says. \u201cAnd I want to shine a light on it in a way that shows the beauty of the thing that could be missed by almost everybody who passed it by.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tRobinson has deep ties to the greater Asheville, North Carolina, region; she lived and worked in the area. She was also part of the vibrant music scene there for many years, and attended contra dances at Warren Wilson College in the flood-ravaged community of Swannanoa.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cThere\u2019s history and richness and traditions in [Western North Carolina],\u201d Robinson says. \u201cThere\u2019s so much value that can\u2019t be measured in money. The glue that keeps communities together are the [musical] traditions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tWith Helene, her friends experienced unimaginable tragedy. In many ways on <em>Appalachia<\/em>, Robinson\u2019s lyrical muse hones in on the humanitarian efforts that emerged in the aftermath.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201c[My friends] were saying that even though there was so much destruction, there was also this coming together,\u201d Robinson notes. \u201cThey said, \u2018I never want to forget how this feels, and I don\u2019t want to go back to the way it was before, now that I know my neighbors and feel this sense of faith, love and trust in humanity.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tPerhaps the most poignant, stirring song on <em>Appalachia <\/em>is the final track, \u201cThe Fairest View.\u201d The tune is dedicated to Robinson\u2019s late friend, David Hamilton, who died the week before Robinson entered the recording studio. It features their mutual friend, singer-songwriter Lizzy Ross.<\/p>\n<section class=\"brands-most-popular \/\/ recirculation-modules trending-in-article lrv-u-margin-tb-2 lrv-u-border-a-2 u-box-shadow-5-5 lrv-u-padding-lr-1 a-span1 u-padding-b-1@tablet u-overflow-hidden\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  lrv-u-text-align-center u-border-color-black a-font-theme-primary-xxs lrv-u-color-black lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase u-letter-spacing-0063 lrv-u-padding-t-050 u-padding-b-0375@tablet lrv-u-padding-b-050@mobile-max lrv-u-border-b-2\">\n<p>\t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\tWhen Robinson learned of Hamilton\u2019s death, she was performing in Asheville, just down the road from Hamilton\u2019s hometown of Fairview. On that drive, Robinson thought about how special her friend was. At the time, Hamilton was collecting native varieties of Carolina apples and building a small orchard on his family\u2019s farm. Memories of their friendship rolled through her mind, and how, she says, \u201cThis person feels like maybe they belong to another lifetime, and are floating through this life in a beautiful way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-line-height-copy  lrv-a-font-body-l   \">\n\t\u201cSongwriting is really an act of listening and getting out of the way of the story,\u201d Robinson says. \u201cRather than imposing my own creative force or will on something, I think part of me was just born with this gift of paying attention and having that honed antenna. You have to be curious to find the stories.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/emily-scott-robinson-album-appalachia-1235559104\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you ask singer-songwriter Emily Scott Robinson to give you the elevator pitch for her new batch of music, she\u2019d suggest, \u201cVery sorrowful, yet&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":64088,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pop","article","has-excerpt","has-avatar","has-author","has-date","has-comment-count","has-category-meta","has-read-more","thumbnail-"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64087"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64087\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}