Fust, The Price Of Eggs And Helvetia’s Fasnacht, Inside Appalachia

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Aaron Dowdy of alternative country band Fust took an outside path to becoming a songwriter.

Also, egg prices are up. Some folks are talking about raising backyard chickens.

And, Helvetia, West Virginia’s old world Fasnacht festival continues to grow, in part because of an online video game. Organizers are OK with it.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

Fust's Aaron Dowdy And Their New Album, Big Ugly

A black and white photo of a white man, Aaron Dowdy of the band Fust, sitting in a recording studio holding a guitar. He is surrounded by guitars, a microphone and other instruments. — Fust singer-songwriter Aaron Dowdy.
*Courtesy of Fust/Charlie Boss*

The last few years have seen a new wave of indie rock music emerging from the Mountain South. It’s distinguished by a Southern rock sound, and lyrics drawn from observations about living in the region.

We’re talking about acts like Wednesday and MJ Lenderman — and Fust, a group that’s based in Durham, North Carolina with deep Appalachian roots. Fust has a new album. It’s called Big Ugly.

Inside Appalachia Host Mason Adams recently spoke with Fust singer and songwriter Aaron Dowdy.

The Price Of Eggs And Backyard Chicken Coops

A white woman, Susan Casdorph, sitting at a table. — Susan Casdorph at her home in South Charleston.
*Photo Credit: Zack Harold/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

The eye-popping cost of eggs has some people thinking about raising their own chickens.

Zack Harold brings us the story of one woman who has spent the last decade trying to make that easier in West Virginia.

Violet Tendencies

A bowl of purple violets. A hand props some up for a better angle toward the camera. — Every spring, violets bloom across Appalachia, a carpet of purple, white and yellow. These unassuming flowers do everything from spruce up a cocktail to fight cancer. We explore a few of the ways herbalists use them for food and medicine.
*Courtesy of Nica Fraser*

Every April, violets bloom across Appalachia. They add flashes of purple, white and yellow to the deepening green of the hills.
But violets do a lot more than add natural flair. These flowers have long been a key ingredient in herbal remedies. People use them to fight cancer and the common cold.
And — they make a pretty tasty snack. Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch brings us this story.

Appalshop Rebuilds After Flooding

A wooden building with a staggered roof and red doors sits at the end of a sidewalk. — Arts and media hub Appalshop's historic office in Whitesburg, Kentucky was damaged by a region-wide flooding event in 2022. The organization is currently operating from an off-site location in Jenkins, Kentucky.
*Courtesy of Appalshop*

Media and arts organization Appalshop is renowned for documenting and preserving Appalachian culture. But the historic flooding that Eastern Kentucky experienced in 2022 threatened that mission.

Flood waters breached Appalshop’s building in Whitesburg, Kentucky, and drowned the lower floors. Its extensive film and audio archive was damaged by mud and water.

Last month, more severe flooding hit the area. Roger May is Appalshop’s director of artistic programs. WVPB’s Jack Walker spoke with May about how flooding affects the region’s arts community.

Helvetia's Fasnacht Festival

A man wearing a giant paper Mache mask of old man winter. — One of the Fasnacht 2025 masks - old man winter.
*Courtesy of Joe Randolph*

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Fust, Noam Pikelny, John Inghram, The Local Honeys and Paul Loomis.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.

You can send us an email: [email protected].

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and X @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

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