Caverns of Gold benefit album attracts big names

The Asheville-area music community carries a reputation for being a hyper-supportive bunch. And when its members and the region at large faced their biggest collective challenge thus far, this close-knit crew lived up to its billing.

In the destructive aftermath of Hurricane Helene, when numerous residents have been displaced from their homes and much of the area remains without potable tap water, a group of friends put out a call for industry colleagues, requesting songs for a benefit compilation. The response was staggering, resulting in the 278-song Caverns of Gold., released Nov. 1 and obtainable for a minimum $10 contribution.

100% of the proceeds from the album’s sales and its release show on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Sly Grog Lounge — featuring 15 of the compilation’s featured acts — will benefit Beloved Asheville, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing relief and long-term support for the community. In the hectic yet inspired days leading up to the release, co-organizer Chad Nance (John Kirby Jr. and the New Seniors) spoke with Asheville Stages about making the project a reality.

Edwin Arnaudin: How did the idea for this compilation arise and who were the driving forces in getting it off the ground?

Chad Nance: Joe Hooten (Tin Roof Echo; PinkEye) and I were talking about the Cardinals At The Window compilation that was released really soon after the hurricane and thinking, "Why couldn't we do that except with all WNC musicians?" Ideas started flying back and forth, and we came up with a plan to get things started. 

A day or two later, Jason Bugg (In Dog Years) posed a similar question on Facebook, and Kelly Minnis (Janx Spirit; Call the Next Witness,;Why Why) and Alex Deutsch (Deathbots; Lower Peaks; Double Love & the Trouble; Rocky Horror Music Show) were also having this conversation on there. We all jumped into a group chat about it and agreed that it just made sense to pool our efforts and make this as impactful as we possibly could. 

Needless to say, that group chat is a very long one now. We got things rolling really quickly. Everyone kind of naturally fell into a role, and we started receiving submissions almost immediately after announcing it.

EA: What’s the significance of the title?

CN: It comes from a line in the Drivin N Cryin song "Honeysuckle Blue," which is about giving a lost soul a “ticket” to go see the beauty that lies in our Blue Ridge Mountains. The first part of the line goes, "Runnin' through these caverns of gold," which brings to mind the beauty of this region, especially in the fall as the leaves present their colors. The second part of the line is harrowing and sadly part of the story that goes with Helene: "runs a river of death indeed."

Taking the "caverns of gold" part from it just made sense, especially given what the song was about and the fact that its author, Kevn Kinney, has played many shows in Asheville, going all the way back to the ’80s. We are thrilled and honored to have his blessing to use the title, and also for the compilation to feature a song that he wrote specifically for it.

EA: When did the submission period open and were there any requirements for participating artists?

CN: Officially on Oct. 17. There were no requirements other than we wanted to focus it on Western North Carolina musicians. It has grown to include regional, national, and even some international acts, but WNC remains the focus.

Originals were preferred because of licensing, but they didn't have to be newly recorded material or recorded specifically for this. We wanted everyone to feel like they could contribute something, even if they were not in a spot at the moment to write and record new music. Many did write/record new songs just for the comp, though, which is really cool.

EA: Did you set a goal for the number of contributions?

CN: We didn't have a specific number in mind. We figured a whole lot of WNC musicians would contribute, and it became evident that was going to be the case from day one, based on the response on social media and the emails that started coming in. We probably figured that it would end up around 75, but around the end of the first week it pushed 100 and everyone bet how many they thought it would make it to. I forget who had the highest, but it eclipsed that.

As the number grew, we started getting this feeling of astonishment and also excitement in our guts of what it could turn into, and ideas and plans started growing. Many of the submissions were accompanied by very sweet personal notes about the song or the artist's own Helene experience, a few of which made a grown man cry, as they say.

EA: R.E.M. Luscious Jackson. Leftover Salmon, Milk Carton Kids — these are some impressive gets! What are the stories behind landing these higher-profile contributions?

CN: Basically, taking Joe's motto — "It never hurts to ask" — and running with it. Everyone in this group are old heads. We've been playing in or associated with a music scene for years and years, and with that comes some connections and friend-of-a-friend type things. We used them all.

EA: What local artists are you especially excited to feature?

CN: All of them! [laughs] There are a lot of very recognizable local bands on the comp that were a part of AVLFest and also play around the area frequently, but also so many who may not be currently as active or maybe have just quietly made music for years. Getting those artists out into the world, especially for this cause, is something we are looking forward to.

EA: What’s been involved in sequencing the compilation and otherwise putting the finishing touches on it?

CN: Adam Matza of Magic Ears Mastering kindly donated his time to help us with the audio aspect of this.  Essentially knowing that we would receive song files of varying quality and recording methods, it was going to be impossible to “master” these tracks, so Adam spent his time making sure that the overall level of the songs were consistent with each other. In other words, one track doesn't blow you out while another is way too quiet. They are as even as possible for a project of this size and short timeframe. 

In terms of sequencing, we had some initial discussions. But as it grew, we knew that — given our timeframe — specific sequencing of the entire project was going to be hard. While our heads and hearts have been in this 100% for three weeks now, we all have regular life stuff happening, too, with work and family and trying to navigate this new normal for our area. We feel it's appropriate that Kevn Kinney's song goes first. After that, it will be local and national/international acts all interspersed together in no particular order.

EA: What messages and statements do you think the compilation collectively presents?

CN: The power of music. The power of community. People's resolve to come together and all help in some way in the face of our greatest crisis.

None of us can fix power lines or rebuild roads and buildings, but we can take something we all live and love — which is music — and try and do something good from that.

EA: How did you choose Beloved Asheville as the beneficiary of funds raised from purchases of the compilation?

CN: Beloved has been out there since the beginning of this and, most importantly, we think will continue to be for the long haul, which is what this community needs given the recovery process will likely stretch out for several years.

IF YOU GO

What: Caverns of Gold release/benefit show
When: Saturday, Nov. 2, 3 p.m.
Where: Sly Grog Lounge, 271 Haywood St., facebook.com/slygroglounge
Tickets: $10 suggested donation

(Cover artwork by Travis Medford)