Appalachian awakening: Rewriting American music culture

Published June 25, 2026 3:07pm ET | Updated June 29, 2026 11:00am ET



AVERY COUNTY, North Carolina — If there is such a thing as the classic Appalachian success story, the rise in popularity of the outside-the-box band Cigarettes @ Sunset would be that story. 

But nothing comes easy in Appalachia.

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