Rising Appalachia returns with “Lady Liberty,” a timely new single out today (August 19, 2025), that reimagines America’s most iconic symbol of welcome through the voice of the Statue of Liberty herself. With lyrics inspired by Emma Lazarus’ 1883 sonnet The New Colossus, the poem inscribed at the base of the statue, sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith give "Lady Liberty" a voice that calls not only to immigrants and refugees but also to a nation wrestling with its fractured promises.
“Lady Liberty is a folk song from the perspective of the statue herself, speaking to the protection of immigrants and refugees,” Chloe Smith shares. “We imagined what the physical and poetic symbol of liberty may want to sing if she herself were given the chance. While we witness ongoing destruction of colonialism, genocide, climate migration, and extreme nationalism, we question what we’ve become in relation to the original promise of the United States as a refuge for liberty. This song is a reflection [by lifted lamp] on the promise and virtue of one seeking home.”
Known for blending Appalachian folk traditions with global roots music, Rising Appalachia has built a body of work that addresses not only the heart but the conscience. With “Lady Liberty,” the ensemble continues to position itself squarely within today’s socio-political conversation, weaving music and activism into one. Their new single arrives at a moment when questions of migration, belonging, and the humanitarian cost of nationalism are pressing themselves into the public square.
The release of "Lady Liberty" comes off the heels of the band's 10th Anniversary re-release of their sought after album Winder Circles on Earth Day 2025. It followed up the 2024 release of Folk & Anchor, Rising Appalachia’s first cover album, which reinterprets classics by Bob Dylan, Hozier, Erykah Badu, Beyoncé, and more through their uniquely Southern, sibling-harmony lens. Recorded at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Studios, the album affirms the band’s role as both interpreters of tradition and innovators in the folk continuum.
Alongside founders Song and Smith, Rising Appalachia features David Brown (upright bass, baritone guitar), Duncan Wickel (fiddle, cello), and Biko Casini (percussion) forging an independent, global career defined by social conscience and cultural exchange. From busking in New Orleans to headlining Red Rocks and performing on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, their work is a bridge across generations and geographies, rooted in music as a communal and political act.
With “Lady Liberty,” Rising Appalachia offers a poignant reminder: the promise of America was always meant to be sung for those seeking refuge.
