Appalachia Moderna are trapped in a moment they can’t get out of in hauntingly passionate and darkly romantic new single I Stay — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
The 10th single from the Denver duo of Jaida James and Jeff Scornavacca offers a bold blend of sounds and styles, updating the tear-stained retro arpeggios of the girl-group era with contemporary electronics and cutting-edge sonics. Set to the sound of a ticking clock, seared with staccato guitar slashes and topped with bittersweet fallen-angel vocals that seem to float elegantly above the whole affair, the track adds up to more than the sum of its impressive parts.
It’s even more impressive when you learn that James and Scornavacca don’t share the same sonic roots. She earned her chops at home, growing up in a family constantly creating or listening to music. he studied audio engineering at Berklee, and spent years touring as an audio engineer and a production manager. Their favourite artist lists don’t share much crossover, and their past songwriting credits navigate different genres. But their differences make for a perfect storm: Clear vocals over vibrant chords, with melodies rooted in folk and adorned in edgy production.
Between the duo, tendrils of their appreciation of folk, rock, soul, jazz, Americana, and country can be found in their sound. “We differ on a lot of things,” Jaida says of their musical preferences, “but I think where we come together is where we made those things overlap.”
The result is a unique offering that feels both traditional and edgy. Folk sensibilities are the solid mahogany in their songs, while the edge of the guitar and the rhythmic, modern production place the folk in new context. The contrast brings out the emotion in each of the songs, which feel custom built to soundtrack the important moments in one’s life.
Jaida and Jeff chose Appalachia Moderna as the perfect representation of their distinctive sound: The melodies would have felt at home a century ago, but the production is much more modern. It’s a unique combination of words that reflect their unique combination of music.
The formation of Appalachia Moderna in 2021 was a creative bright spot in a year full of pandemic stress and unexpected turns. As everyone turned to digital co-writes in the spring, Jaida and Jeff first met and connected to write on Zoom. That first session went so well that the song became their first release, Time To Fly. “It’s just amazing that the first thing that we wrote together ended up being something that became our first release because other people loved it too,” Jeff says.
Listen to I Stay above, hear more from Appalachia Moderna below, and find them at their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
