Cox County Clappers return with 'Tully Jackson’s Hill', a fierce, hard-driving Mountain Rock anthem that confronts the realities of Appalachian life and environmental exploitation. Blending Southern Rock swagger with Dark Americana grit, the track roars to life through snarling guitars, pounding drums, and wailing harmonica, capturing the lived-in resilience of coal country communities. The song takes direct aim at mountaintop-removal mining, telling the story of those left to deal with the aftermath when mountains are blasted apart and waterways poisoned.
Led by songwriter Matt Rhoden, Cox County Clappers operate within a fully imagined Appalachian world, a mythic landscape shaped by labor struggles, feuding families, and cultural defiance. Featuring contributions from a rotating cast of Nashville heavyweights and harmonica virtuoso Gwen Holt, the single embodies the band’s signature mix of storytelling and resistance. With 'Tully Jackson’s Hill', Cox County Clappers continue carving out their own lane in modern Americana, where folklore, protest, and thunderous rock collide with urgency and purpose.
So with the new single out now, we sat down with them to find out more about their origins and what has been inspiring them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Guitar. I play the drums a little. I have been trying to play the keyboard for years!
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Hard rock, Southern Rock, 70s soul and R&B, 70s singer-songwriter.
What was the first album you remember owning?
Pete Townsend, "Empty Glass." Still holds up.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
"Stairway." But who really wrote it??
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
Sometimes I'll try a songwriting exercise, or follow a how-to book. Seems like it doesn't work, but then a day later, you get an idea...
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Neon Trees, Kacey Musgraves, Blackfoot
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Black Crowes
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
When people appreciate the music. Also, songwriting-- when you finally get an idea.
And what is the most frustrating part?
I have a recurring dream-- right before a show, can't find a cable, or a power strip, or a battery, now the amp is crackling, and I've broken all six strings...
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
For guitar-- if you hit a wrong note, keep sliding.
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Cox County Clappers' new single 'Tully Jackson's Hill' is available to stream now. Check it out in the player below.