ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A new benefit album for Western North Carolina artists has been announced for later this month, commemorating the one year anniversary of Asheville’s resilience following Hurricane Helene.
Announcing “After the Flood”
“After the Flood: Songs Inspired by Helene” is a 16 track album of songs written by local artists in the year since Helene. 100% of the proceeds from the record will go to support artists impacted by the storm. Organized and produced by Chuck Lee, owner of music rehearsal space Experience Music, the compilation was curated from over 70 submissions from the region’s bands.
“It was all local,” Lee promised. “From Yancey County to Black Mountain and everywhere in between.”
Lee began to envision the project after finding himself without power in the days immediately following the storm.
“I think, like a lot of people after Helene, without phones and TVs and work, you figure out what you can do with yourself. I was just writing a ton,” Lee recalled. “The writing led to songs, and one song led to five songs, and on and on. So, right after the hurricane, when I started talking to some of my musician buddies, I was like, hey, did you write a lot or were you inspired during Helene? What was going on? I found out a lot of people were writing songs.”
Lee decided that he wanted to collect as much of that music as he could, find the best tracks and then record them for an anniversary release album. The project began to pick up steam when Lee joined forces with Andrew Schatzberg, the owner and producer behind Landslide Studios. With Schatzberg’s production expertise and studio space, Lee could begin to find the songs that would comprise “After the Flood.”
“I put posters up all over town. Probably the best place I put one was at Grey Eagle. They let me put one in the bathroom there and next thing you know, I’ve got 70 song submissions,” Lee said. “To be honest, I’d say 60 of the 70 were pretty good!”
16 songs, one year of memories
Lee said that “After the Flood” sets itself apart from other Helene benefit albums, such as “Caverns of Gold” or “Acoustic Fire,” with the requirement that every song be specifically written about Helene in the year-long period following the storm. The results produced a broad spectrum of perspectives.
“These songs aren’t just about the few weeks after Helene. There’s some songs that were written six months after,” Lee said. “It’s a wider range, of view, of Helene.”
The tone of the tracks were diverse, too.
“I was worried that it was going to be very melancholy, and, you know, there’s a few downers on there, for sure. It’s a serious subject matter,” Lee said. “But it’s mostly hopeful and, yeah, upbeat.”
While Lee has plans for future physical editions of the compilation, “After the Flood” will receive its first release on Bandcamp on Sept. 22. Lee said he would decide with the artists on the album where exactly to send the proceeds, but he hoped the funds will go to support artists who are still struggling after the storm.
Regardless of the forthcoming level of success of “After the Flood,” the producer is proud of the local music encapsulated by the album.
“I hope we can raise some money, but my original goal was just to capture these songs, get them together and just put them out into the world,” Lee said. “If we don’t raise any money, that would suck, but these are some cool songs with some cool stories, so at least that goal has been almost accomplished.”
For more information about “After the Flood” or to donate to the project, visit www.experiencemusicavl.com.
“After the Flood” track list
- “Neighbor” by Andrew Scotchie
- “Hearts on Fire” by New Dawn Starkestra
- “Hurricane Song” by Abby Bryant
- “Fat Lady Helene” by Hustle Souls
- “Holding Hands” by Jordan Scheffer
- “The Sound of the Wind and the Rain” by Chuck Brodsky
- “Broken Record” by McKinney
- “Hello Mr. Woodchipper (Long Dark Winter)” by Human Nip
- “Floodlight Bounce” by Lost Torpedo
- “Living Room Floor” by Hog
- “Helene” by Austin Barrett
- “Build it Again” by Carpal Tuller
- “Our Little Town” by The Tallboys
- “When the Waves Come Down” by Casey Sharpe
- “Asheville’s Gonna Rise” by Deborah Silverstein & Friends
- “Hurricane” by Stacey Robinson & the Landsliders
