Appalachia Moderna get under your skin with their piercing new track Your Scars Are Your Beautiful — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The dozenth single from the Denver duo of Jaida James and Jeff Scornavacca leans more toward the first half of their name, built around traditional acoustic guitars and dobro that gently and elegantly intertwine into a back-porch musical tapestry. Soulfully soaring over top of this welcoming world, James and backing vocalist Nancy Marshall almost steal the show with their intimate, lushly arranged melodies and harmonies — voicing lyrics that will ring true to anyone who has faced daunting personal loss, pain and hardship, only to come out wiser and stronger on the other side:
“Pain will leave its mark
Knock you down, against your will
Wounds from deepest cuts will always fade
You survived and what you learned remains
Among the weeds the flower grows
Broken glass reflects rainbows
‘Round jagged edges your best light shows
Your scars are your beautiful.”
“Your Scars Are Your Beautiful is about finding strength in our individual challenges and that facing our challenges is a source of strength,” explains Scornavacca. The song “was inspired by an article about breast cancer survivors, their struggles, and their efforts to move forward.”
It’s not often that a band’s name perfectly reflects the sound of their music, but in Appalachia Moderna’s case, it fits to a T. Their melodies would have felt at home with the rich, emotive ballads and blues of centuries past, while the production surprises with edgy guitars and bold percussion. Their songs are dramatic and emotional, feeling both vast and intimate at the same time.
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 rich 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, “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.
Listen to Your Scars Are Your Beautiful above, hear more from Appalachia Moderna below, and find them at their website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
