ArtistDirect News
Cigarettes @ Sunset: Appalachian Band Launches Possum Rock EP, Gains 225K Spotify Listeners
When the first riff of “Pavement” drifted over a smoky Boone sunset, a group of five musicians in a cramped, unheated corner of the EDGE of the WORLD Snowboard Shop in Banner Elk found a shared voice that would soon echo across the United States. In March, that voice was released to the world on the debut EP Possum Rock, and it has already earned the band more than 225,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
The core lineup—lead vocalist Garrett Dellinger, guitarist Ryland Bagbey, violinist Sarah Vann, bassist Wells Whitman, and drummer Ethan Moore—began writing together in 2021. Dellinger and Bagbey, childhood friends who first jammed on mountain trails, expanded the group when Vann, a classically trained fiddler, answered a request to add a fiddle to a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.” The addition proved permanent, turning the band’s sound into a distinctive blend of indie rock, gritty blues, and Appalachian fiddle lines.
The name Cigarettes @ Sunset was born from a spontaneous moment: Dellinger was smoking at sunset on a mountain when the idea struck. Their self‑styled genre, “Possum Rock,” came about when a drunk patron asked, “Do y’all play possum rock?” Dellinger shrugged, decided to adopt the term, and the label stuck. Bagbey has joked that he hopes the “very drunk guy” never returns to claim royalties.
Musically, the EP is a collision of genres that feels as much like a Boone bar as it does a gravel driveway or an open mountain field. Vann’s looping and orchestral layering sit beside Dellinger’s gravelly vocals, creating a sound the band describes as “blending lyrics about small‑town grit with an irresistible beat.” The track “Pavement” has surpassed four million streams, its lyrics touching on love, addiction, and small‑town restlessness.
Released under Lost Highway Records—a Universal Music Group imprint—the EP is not a polished Top‑40 country product. Instead, it offers raw production and authentic storytelling that have resonated from Texas to London. Since signing with Lost Highway, the band has played nearly 100 shows a year and completed a multi‑city national tour, filling venues across the United States and cementing their growing fan base as reflected in Spotify metrics.
The group’s trajectory faced a test in late 2024 when Hurricane Helene devastated the Boone area. The disaster drew the community together, and the band’s music has since reflected a commitment to endurance and resilience. Their experience during the recovery has informed the emotional depth of their recent recordings.
Cigarettes @ Sunset’s success signals a broader cultural shift toward Appalachian music. For decades, coastal media largely ignored the region, but the band’s popularity demonstrates a national appetite for authentic, unfiltered storytelling rooted in place. Their rise illustrates how a small‑town band can achieve national visibility while staying true to its roots.
Today the group continues to tour and record. Their next projects are expected to build on the momentum of Possum Rock, further expanding their audience and solidifying their place in the contemporary Americana landscape.
The core lineup—lead vocalist Garrett Dellinger, guitarist Ryland Bagbey, violinist Sarah Vann, bassist Wells Whitman, and drummer Ethan Moore—began writing together in 2021. Dellinger and Bagbey, childhood friends who first jammed on mountain trails, expanded the group when Vann, a classically trained fiddler, answered a request to add a fiddle to a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris.” The addition proved permanent, turning the band’s sound into a distinctive blend of indie rock, gritty blues, and Appalachian fiddle lines.
The name Cigarettes @ Sunset was born from a spontaneous moment: Dellinger was smoking at sunset on a mountain when the idea struck. Their self‑styled genre, “Possum Rock,” came about when a drunk patron asked, “Do y’all play possum rock?” Dellinger shrugged, decided to adopt the term, and the label stuck. Bagbey has joked that he hopes the “very drunk guy” never returns to claim royalties.
Musically, the EP is a collision of genres that feels as much like a Boone bar as it does a gravel driveway or an open mountain field. Vann’s looping and orchestral layering sit beside Dellinger’s gravelly vocals, creating a sound the band describes as “blending lyrics about small‑town grit with an irresistible beat.” The track “Pavement” has surpassed four million streams, its lyrics touching on love, addiction, and small‑town restlessness.
Released under Lost Highway Records—a Universal Music Group imprint—the EP is not a polished Top‑40 country product. Instead, it offers raw production and authentic storytelling that have resonated from Texas to London. Since signing with Lost Highway, the band has played nearly 100 shows a year and completed a multi‑city national tour, filling venues across the United States and cementing their growing fan base as reflected in Spotify metrics.
The group’s trajectory faced a test in late 2024 when Hurricane Helene devastated the Boone area. The disaster drew the community together, and the band’s music has since reflected a commitment to endurance and resilience. Their experience during the recovery has informed the emotional depth of their recent recordings.
Cigarettes @ Sunset’s success signals a broader cultural shift toward Appalachian music. For decades, coastal media largely ignored the region, but the band’s popularity demonstrates a national appetite for authentic, unfiltered storytelling rooted in place. Their rise illustrates how a small‑town band can achieve national visibility while staying true to its roots.
Today the group continues to tour and record. Their next projects are expected to build on the momentum of Possum Rock, further expanding their audience and solidifying their place in the contemporary Americana landscape.