The members of bluegrass outfit Appalachian Smoke literally embody the first part of their moniker, all residing in the southern portion of the great mountain chain. “…Where Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina all meet, there’s kind of a point there and we’re all roughly an hour away from that in different directions,” says Tim Williams, the group’s bass player, when asked about their location.
Along with Tim, the group is made up of Mikel Laws (banjo, guitar), Jamie Mason (guitar, banjo), Kenneth Rymer (dobro), BJ Taylor (mandolin, octave). All members are vocalists, with Jamie providing the lead.
According to Tim, the band grew out of an original songwriting partnership between Mikel and BJ. He had played with them briefly, but then, he says “I got a call from them, I guess about four years ago now, saying ‘Hey, we’re wanting to do something serious, are you interested?’ And I was. We picked up Kenny and Jamie after the fact and have had a ball with it since.”
While remaining firmly rooted in the region’s traditional sounds, Appalachian Smoke has also developed their own unique combination of elements. The band offers mostly original music, along with strategic bluegrass and gospel classics—as well as the occasional “grassified” rock tune. Although Tim says “We’re too traditional for a lot of people and we’re too progressive for a lot of people,” the band has steadily built an appreciative audience in their area and are looking to expand their horizons soon. “We’re having to figure out ways to get places…” Tim says. “We’ve had people call us from Arizona, Wisconsin, Arkansas, and that’s big for us.”
After their 2022 independent release Colder Side of Love brought some chart success, Appalachian Smoke is now part of the Mountain Fever Records family, recently releasing their latest, self-titled effort on the label. “We were stoked…to be considered by a label that’s cranked out as much good music that’s influenced me…was just amazing.”