Two years ago, regional Folk phenoms Daniel Martin Moore and Ben Sollee met at a Lexington show and began making small talk about music and their commonalities when the subject of Appalachian strip mining was broached. It was a subject that both Kentuckians are passionate about.
They produced a record, Dear Companion (produced by My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and released by Moore’s regular label home, Sub Pop Records), as an evocation of Appalachian mountain music and a culture that’s slowly being eroded by progress and technology.
The mining process of mountaintop removal (MTR) is among the more destructive forces having an impact on rural Appalachia. Part of Dear Companion’s proceeds will benefit Appalachian Voices, an advocacy group working to stop MTR. Moore is confident that with the right exposure the proper end will be achieved.
They duo plays an instore at Shake It Records followed by a CD release show at the Northside Tavern. Read Brian Baker’s full interview with the band and get show details here.
This article appears in Feb 10-16, 2010.
