Nest of Singing Birds Release The Marshall Sessions

Photo: Courtesy of Nest of Singing Birds

Nest of Singing Birds, a collective devoted to preserving and sharing the rich tradition of Appalachian ballad singing, has released their debut album, The Marshall Sessions today. Originally issued as a limited-run vinyl pressing in December 2025, the album captures thirteen traditional ballads performed live inside the Old Marshall Jail Hotel, an anchor of community and culture in downtown Marshall, N.C.

Listen + Share: The Marshall Sessions

To celebrate the digital release, Nest of Singing Birds will host a free pop-up performance on Sunday, June 7 at 4:00 p.m. at Records in the RAD in Asheville, followed by a gathering at the June Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail on June 10. For more information, visit NestOfSingingBirds.com.

Recorded and produced by Tim Nylander, The Marshall Sessions is not a conventional studio album, but rather a document of living tradition; songs passed down through generations, sung a capella in a space that became a gathering point for both locals and visitors. The recording emerged from the group’s monthly ballad swaps, where singers gather to share centuries-old narrative songs rooted in the Appalachian Mountains.

At the heart of the project is Donna Ray Norton, an eighth-generation ballad singer from Madison County, N.C. Raised in the Sodom Laurel community and taught by her late mother Lena Jean Ray and cousin Sheila Kay Adams, Norton carries forward a lineage that is both deeply personal and culturally significant. A co-founder of the Old Marshall Jail Ballad Swap, Norton has become a leading voice in the contemporary ballad revival.

What began in 2023 as a monthly gathering at the Old Marshall Jail quickly grew into a beloved community tradition, drawing Marshall locals and visitors from across the region to share oral histories, swap songs, and honor the deeply rooted cultural legacy of Appalachian ballad singing.

When Hurricane Helene devastated the community in the fall of 2024, that momentum was suddenly disrupted, displacing not only a physical gathering space, but a vital cultural hub, as the Old Marshall Jail itself was forced to close during the rebuilding process. “We lost the one place where we had our voice,” Norton told Garden & Gun in an interview.

In the months that followed, Nest of Singing Birds found ways to keep both the tradition and their creative home in the spotlight. The group began taking the ballad swap on the road, bringing the experience to new audiences while maintaining its original spirit. “By traveling the swap, we hope to keep doing what we love and keep our momentum, while also reminding people that our region is still recovering, and we need people to visit our areas,” Norton added. At the same time, the collective released The Marshall Sessions on vinyl –– recordings captured inside the jail before the storm –– as a way to preserve the spirit of the space and continue drawing attention to Marshall during its recovery.

The Marshall Sessions now stands as both a time capsule and a testament to resilience. “When something like this happens, in a place with all these traditions like North Carolina, there’s a risk of losing something so sacred and special,” Norton told Rolling Stone. Through continued work with the ballad swaps, Norton’s involvement with the Appalachian Memory Project, and the release of The Marshall Sessions, Nest of Singing Birds are helping to ensure these vital oral histories are preserved and carried forward for future generations.

Alongside Norton, the album features a close-knit circle of singers and tradition-bearers, anchored by seventh-generation ballad singer Sheila Kay Adams, a group co-founder whose mentorship and guidance have shaped the foundation of Nest of Singing Birds. A recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, Adams has spent decades preserving and teaching the ballad tradition, serving as a direct link between generations of singers. The album also features William Ritter, whose path into ballad singing was shaped by mentorship from the late Bobby McMillion. Together, the collective reflects a living lineage of Appalachian music, rooted in mentorship, community, and shared cultural memory.

The Marshall Sessions Track Listing

Sailor Bein’ Tired – Sheila Kay Adams
Old Virginny – Susan Pepper
Little Margaret – Branson Raines
The Girl I Left Behind – Melanie Rice
Pretty Polly – Analo Phillips
Single Girl – Donna Ray Norton
False True Lover – William Ritter
Barbara Allen – Judy Rhodes
Down by the Greenwood Sidey – Leila Weinstein
Farmer Boy – Darci DeWulf
Love Has Brought Me To Despair – Hilary Rose
Knoxville Girl – Ian Kirkpatrick
My Dearest Dear – Sarah Burkey