Two years after Hurricane Helene, this fourth installment of Higher Ground examines how the storm reshaped Western North Carolina’s forests and waterways. Michael Cheek of the N.C. Forest Service and MountainTrue’s Gray Jernigan discuss wildfire risks, changing habitats, river cleanup, and the long work of helping a transformed landscape recover.

Warm up with a fleece vest embroidered with the WNCW logo. Yours for a minimum donation of $110.

WNCW socks! Yours for a minimum donation of $50.

Complete your collection with this 2-CD compilation of some of the best sessions from Studio B in 2025-20265. Yours for a minimum donation of only $100 now during Pre-Drive through October 9th at midnight. The donation amount will increase to $120.

From Grassroots to the Cosmos — WNCW's Fall T-shirt is available for a minimum donation of $90.

The Womack Sisters -- Kucha, Zeimani, and BG Womack -- were singing before they could walk. They grew up on the road. Their schools were stages and studios all over the world, where they sang behind their parents, Zekkariyas & Zeriiya (formerly known as Womack & Womack), alongside their four siblings. Nowhere was home for long. No matter where they lived, they were always surrounded by music and family. Their 2026 self-titled debut album, The Womack Sisters, is the musical culmination of the Sisters’ long and winding journey to find themselves. If you know the Daptone Record label (Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, for instance), then you’ll agree they’ve found the right home for them, musically. On an album that is deeply autobiographical, perhaps no lyric is as fitting as the final refrain: “People come and go, But, darling this I know, It will always be my sisters and me.”

Billy Strings -- So Much For Goodbyes

The good folks at Record Store Day (https://recordstoreday.com/Home) got to release a limited number of vinyl versions of this back in April; now it’s available for wider release. Here’s what they had to say about it: “Featuring twelve originals, Son Volt's return to the elemental strengths that have long defined their sound—restless guitars, melodic clarity, and songs rooted in the lived experience of American landscapes. Anchored by Jay Farrar’s steady, unvarnished voice, the record balances reflection and resolve, drawing lines between personal memory and the wider currents of history, change, and endurance. The songs move fluidly between stripped-down intimacy and full-band drive, blending folk-rock, country, and electric grit with the confidence of a band that knows exactly who they are. There’s a sense of forward motion throughout the album—never nostalgic for its own sake, but deeply aware of where it’s been. Lyrically, Farrar explores themes of connection, resilience, and place, finding meaning in both the ordinary and the unsettled. This album stands as another chapter in Son Volt’s enduring catalog: honest, grounded, and quietly powerful, reaffirming their role as one of America’s most consistent and thoughtful rock bands.”

Ask most any of WNCW’s programming hosts to name an especially dynamic, exciting bluegrass band on the scene these days, and AJ Lee & Blue Summit is likely to rank near, if not at, the top of the list. The latest album from this California band is a collection of covers from the likes of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Gillian Welch, Bob Dylan, and Emmylou Harris. This one also includes guest appearances from Jerry Douglas, Lindsay Lou, and Trey Hensley, among others. They play the Grey Eagle in Asheville on October 23rd and the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte on the 24th!

Strong positive reviews for this new one! “After 40 years, Gary Louris keeps taking that leap himself — chief songwriter, lead vocalist, the guy anchoring those three-part harmonies since day one, still finding new hope to land on.” (Charlies Trail, Americana Highways) “As a devout Jayhawks fan, one who has spent countless hours with the band’s discography, it wouldn’t be fair to call this album a return to form. The band has spent 40 years weaving in and out of myriad popular music moments, from alt-country to baroque pop, Gram Parsons to Brian Wilson, never losing their form. But there is a “bringing it all back home” feeling on the band’s 12th long-player, Sanctuary Park. (Ryan Traster, New Noise Magazine)