For me growing up in Appalachia meant there was no shortage of cheap, sweet treats to follow our cornbread and butterbean meals.

Some of my favorites were vinegar pie, brown sugar pie, brown sugar fudge, and chocolate depression cake.

The secret? Brown sugar.

In a society so focused on meeting beauty standards, you can’t help the urge to meet those unreasonable goals and spend a fortune doing it.

The Mountain Music Festival began in New River Gorge, West Virginia in 2014 and will continue for its 9th year June 1-3, 2023.

Stereophonic is an Appalachian Hip Hop group based out of Lewisburg, West Virginia. Reece Rowan, Ben Cadle (benjamin.), and Cooper Woods (Abstract Inspector) have performed together in their region for three years and written music together for over six years.

Stereophonic expresses their Appalachian culture through their music and hopes to engage their listeners with positive energy.

Zane Rerek is a comedian, filmmaker, and musician from Kingwood, West Virginia. He describes himself as an Appalachian expat living in Chicago, Illinois.

“It's really different [living in Chicago.] People here are so goddamn weird,” Rerek laughed. “Before I left, I just assumed city people and country people probably aren't as different as everyone said. Everyone's just trying to get by. Everyone's got their own unique outlook on life, but we're all the same at heart.”

Nolan Taylor is a singer-songwriter based out of Cincinnati, Ohio who explores themes of longing, desperation, joy and sorrow in each of his songs.

His songs are informed by his own struggles growing up poor and being surrounded by addiction.

Danny Brewer, professionally known as Besides Daniel, grew up around Atlanta, Georgia and moved into the city when he was 20, where he became heavily involved in the art scene and the singer-songwriter community.

“I definitely want to do something that gives me purpose every day. I want to do something that feels important to me, and I want to do something that I'm proud of,” she said. “I tell my parents all the time that I don't want to move away from LA until I've fulfilled my LA dreams, but I'm still kind of trying to figure out what my LA dreams are.”

Hailing from Johnson City, Tennessee and alumni of Eastern Tennessee State University, Luke and Madison Morris released their first album together as Highland Reverie in January 2022, but before that they were two solo artists who would occasionally record and gig together.

Since lawfully wedding and officially joining together as Highland Reverie, the musicians have continued to evolve together.

The duo draws their influences from the musical heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains that they grew up in.

Joshua Shelton describes himself as half of a recording artist who became a public figure by accident. 

Memphis Gerald fell in love with Appalachian music a decade ago and has indulged that passion ever since.

Hunter Flynn is a 25 year old Appalachian Soul artist from the small town of Somerset, Kentucky. Flynn entered the music scene in February 2022 and has since become a full-time recording and gigging musician.

Since February 2022 he has opened for Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives at the Master Musicians Festival and played on stages in Tennessee, Ohio, West Virginia, Illinois, North Carolina, and all over the Bluegrass state.

Spring 2023 horoscopes

Most people expect culture shock when moving to another country or across the US, but what about moving from one southern state to another?

In my experience, moving from western North Carolina to northern Alabama, only 400 miles apart, was enough to throw me for a loop. Appalachia’s culture, while holding similar characteristics to southern culture, is distinctly different. People are often not prepared for the switch outside of their home culture bubble, but this one I didn’t expect.

Spencer Tate is a multi-instrumentalist hailing from Frederick, Maryland.

He studied engineering with a minor in music at Swarthmore College in Philadelphia and now is a water resources engineer.

One day, Hallberg became obsessed with the Appalachian dulcimer. Later on, while on a tour in the South, Hallberg decided it was her opportunity to finally get a dulcimer.

Many households across Appalachia are suffering from the crippling impact of inflation and price gouging.

With a little creativity and frugality, you can spend $35 per week ($17.50 per person) on groceries for your family of two. This is significantly less than the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s proposed budget of $119.40 per week for two adults.

While Lynn finds her roots in Southern California, the impact of the South on her is undeniable.

With the cost of eggs and poultry soaring across the nation due to market volatility, many people are looking for alternatives. For some, that may be raising a backyard poultry flock.

Before finding your nearest Tractor Supply Company and purchasing your first set of hens, there are some things to consider to get started.

Carla Gover hails from Letcher County, Kentucky, and has been a self-employed artist for three decades. As a mother of three kids, an artist, an activist, and a community organizer, Gover has done it all.