Big-name musicians compile 136-song album for Hurricane Helene relief
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R.E.M. perform onstage during the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame. Photo: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame
In response to the devastation from Hurricane Helene, a group of musicians has produced a massive, 136-song compilation of unreleased songs and live recordings to raise money for relief efforts in western North Carolina
Why it matters: The compilation — featuring well-known bands and artists like R.E.M., The War on Drugs, Fleet Foxes, Jason Isbell and Tyler Childers — will directly support three groups working on recovery efforts: Rural Organizing and Resilience, BeLoved Asheville and the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.
Driving the news: The album, "Cardinals at the Window," is available for purchase for $10 on Bandcamp. It was organized by the North Carolina musician Libby Rodenbough, David Walker of New Commute and the journalist Grayson Haver Currin.
- Nick Sanborn, of the Durham band Sylvan Esso, provided audio engineering work.
What they're saying: "There were just so many folks who, like us, had witnessed the destruction of these holy places from the outside and felt their hearts trying to break out of their chests," Rodenbough, who performs as a solo artist and with the North Carolina band Mipso, said in a statement.
- "It was instant, the way people signed on," she added. "They also feel what I feel, that these mountains are the cradle of some deep and ineffable magic."
Zoom In: The track list features many new songs and live records from renowned North Carolina artists: including the Avett Brothers, Angel Olsen, Iron & Wine, MJ Lenderman, Little Brother, Sylvan Esso, the Mountain Goats and Archers of Loaf, among many others.
The big picture: Musicians from North Carolina have been at the forefront of rallying support for a region that has been severely damaged by the storm.
- Music stars Luke Combs, Eric Church, James Taylor and Billy Strings, who all have significant North Carolina connections, are performing a benefit concert at Bank of America Stadium to raise money for communities in western North Carolina devastated by Hurricane Helene, Axios Charlotte reported.
