Family Meeting: Cam & Steve Talk About What’s Next Following Hurricane Helene

Summary

Old Gods of Appalachia Podcast Episode Summary

Episode: Family Meeting: Cam & Steve Talk About What’s Next Following Hurricane Helene
Release Date: October 18, 2024
Host/Authors: Steve Schell and Cam Collins
Podcast: Old Gods of Appalachia by DeepNerd Media

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In this heartfelt and informative episode, hosts Steve Schell and Cam Collins address their dedicated audience—whom they affectionately refer to as "family"—to discuss the significant challenges and forthcoming changes following the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on central Appalachia. The episode combines personal anecdotes, updates on the podcast’s production, and calls to action for community support.

1. Introduction and Transition from Patreon to The Holler

Steve Schell opens the episode by announcing a major shift in their subscription model. Previously reliant on Patreon, the duo is transitioning to their own subscription service, The Holler, powered by Supercast. This move is motivated by the discontinuation of Patreon for their show.

"Patreon is going away. We just launched our very own subscription service, the Holler. The Holler is powered by Supercast..."
— Steve Schell [00:00]

The Holler promises benefits such as ad-free episodes, exclusive storylines, and seamless integration with popular podcast apps, addressing previous listener requests for features like Spotify integration.

2. Impact of Hurricane Helene on Central Appalachia

The core of the episode delves into the severe repercussions of Hurricane Helene, particularly in Asheville, North Carolina, and surrounding mountain towns. Both hosts share their personal experiences and the broader community's struggles.

Steve explains the extent of the devastation:

"The fallout from Hurricane Helene left my city of Asheville, North Carolina without power, water and Internet for most of the month of October. Entire sections of the city were underwater..."
— Steve Schell [01:13]

He highlights that over 80% of Asheville is still without potable drinking water, with many residents also lacking power. While his household narrowly escaped physical destruction, the lack of essential services coupled with medical needs has severely disrupted their production capabilities.

3. Delays in Season 5 and Unhallowed Grounds Tour

Due to the hurricane’s impact, Old Gods of Appalachia’s Season 5 release is delayed by two months, now set to premiere on December 5, 2024.

"We regret to announce that the Release of Season 5 of Old Gods of Appalachia is going to be delayed. Season 5 will now premiere on December 5, 2024..."
— Steve Schell [02:32]

Additionally, their Unhallowed Grounds tour dates in Marion, Virginia, and Boone, North Carolina, are postponed to June 2025. Travel disruptions caused by damaged highways, such as I40 and I26, necessitate these changes. The hosts assure fans that all previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates, and refunds are available for those unable to attend.

"We’re Postpone the last two dates of the Unhallowed Grounds tour in Marion, Virginia..."
— Cam Collins [02:32]

4. Fundraising and Relief Efforts

Recognizing the ongoing struggles of their community, Steve and Cam launch several initiatives to support hurricane relief efforts:

• Merchandise Sales: A new t-shirt design featuring the Old Gods logo and the phrase "Helen High Water Came and We're still here" is available on their Teepublic shop, with all proceeds directed to grassroots relief organizations like Beloved Asheville and Rise Irwin.

  "Every dollar made on those shirts will go to grassroots Appalachian relief efforts..."
  — Cam Collins [04:06]

• Voice Actor Cameos and Music Releases: Voice actors from the podcast, including Steve himself, offer paid cameo services, with 100% of the proceeds aiding hurricane relief. Additionally, a new single titled "Sun Hold Killian Song" by Landon Blood is available on Bandcamp, with all sales supporting relief efforts.

  "All of the proceeds raised in the coming months will benefit hurricane relief efforts."
  — Steve Schell [03:28]

• Fundraising Campaigns: The hosts emphasize the urgency and sustained impact of Hurricane Helene, aiming to raise over $10,000 through these collective efforts.

  "Imagine how much help we could bring to the folks whose lives were impacted by Hurricane Helene just by y'all clicking a few buttons..."
  — Cam Collins [05:48]

5. Transition to The Holler Subscription Platform

Steve elaborates on the benefits and logistics of the new subscription service, The Holler. By migrating to Supercast, they aim to provide a more robust and user-friendly experience for their subscribers.

"The Holler opens on Friday, October 25th. That's one week from the day we're posting this."
— Steve Schell [04:57]

Cam adds that Supercast is incentivizing early sign-ups by pledging a dollar for every new subscriber in the first two weeks, leveraging their existing Patreon community of over 11,000 subscribers to maximize support for relief efforts.

"We’re setting up fundraising efforts of our own. For example, hit the show notes of this post to see all the voice actors..."
— Cam Collins [05:48]

They reassure Patreon users that the platform will remain open for those who prefer to stay, ensuring continued access to monthly exclusives during the transition.

"We are not closing Patreon at this time. If you opt to stick around on Patreon... we'll continue to post all our monthly exclusives..."
— Steve Schell [06:49]

6. Conclusion and Next Steps

Steve recaps the key updates: the postponement of tour dates, the delay of Season 5, ongoing fundraising efforts, and the launch of The Holler subscription service. He directs listeners to the show notes for links to their fundraising initiatives and invites them to join The Holler to support both the podcast and the broader community.

"To recap, family, the final shows of our Unhallowed Grounds tour have been postponed until June of 2025... we'll be rolling out a brand new subscription service come October 25th..."
— Steve Schell [06:49]

Cam concludes by assuring listeners that detailed guidance for transitioning to The Holler will be shared on their social media platforms, and specific instructions will be provided for Patreon members.

"We know it's a lot to digest. Family. And in the coming days, we'll post all the details you need to navigate."
— Cam Collins [07:23]

Steve signs off with gratitude and anticipation for continued support and community solidarity.

"We'll see you soon, family. See you real soon."
— Steve Schell [07:40]

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Old Gods of Appalachia continues to embody the resilient spirit of its listeners, turning adversity into a rallying point for community support and creative resilience. This episode underscores the profound connection between the hosts and their audience, reinforcing their commitment to both storytelling and real-world aid.

Transcript

[Steve Schell]

Well, hey there family. Steve Schell from Old Gods of Appalachia here. If you're listening to one of the earlier episodes of our show, those before the beginning of season five, you may hear us talk about supporting the show through our Patreon. I'm just popping in to let you know that Patreon is going away. We just launched our very own subscription service, the Holler. The Holler is powered by Supercast, a platform built from the ground up for podcasters and their listeners. We think you're going to like it a lot. So if you'd like to support the show and enjoy ad free episodes, exclusive storylines and more, visit old gods of appalachia.com the Holler and join the family today. You can find that link in the show notes of every episode. Well, hey there family Steve Schell from Old Gods of Appalachia here with our beloved hedge witch Cam Collins to check in with y'all on some things and do a little housekeeping as we do from time to time.

[Cam Collins]

Hey there family. Good to be back with y'all again.

[Steve Schell]

We ask that you listen all the way to the end of this message because we've got a lot of information to share with y'all today. Some of it's good news, some not so good, and some is just the way it has to be. First and foremost, y'all, we want to thank everyone who's checked in on us, lit a candle for us, or offered any form of support, well wishes and love during this incredibly trying time for central Appalachia. The fallout from Hurricane Helene left my city of Asheville, North Carolina without power, water and Internet for most of the month of October. Entire sections of the city were underwater and the devastation spread through the smaller towns in the mountains, washing some places practically off the map. Over 80% of my city is currently without potable drinking water and many are still without power. Now, my household was very fortunate as we didn't get hit by trees or flooding, but the lack of running water and power, combined with our medical needs meant that I have not been able to occupy my home for more than five days total so far this month. As a result of this loss of production time. Basically a solid month scattered to the winds. We regret to announce that the Release of Season 5 of Old Gods of Appalachia is going to be delayed. Season 5 will now premiere on December 5, 2024, just in time for the holidays.

[Cam Collins]

Many roads through the region are still blocked or tremendously altered at the time of this recording. I40 from Asheville to Knoxville will likely be closed for over a year. I26, the road that normally allows Steve and I to travel to visit or work together, also suffered significant damage and we're hearing repairs won't be complete until June next year. The resulting detour doubles the travel time between our towns. Circumstances like these have led us to Postpone the last two dates of the Unhallowed Grounds tour in Marion, Virginia. In Boone, North Carolina, we'll now be bringing Unhallowed Grounds to Boone on June 12th and to Marion the following night, June 13th of 2025. To address the most common questions we hear, yes, all tickets purchased for this year will be honored for the rescheduled dates, and yes, the venues will offer refunds for those folks who are unable to attend the new dates. Please reach out to your venue with any questions.

[Steve Schell]

Western North Carolina and all of central Appalachia will be feeling the effects of this wretched storm for way longer than we ever could have anticipated. There are parts of my town that can never be the way they were again. Ever. My home place is a tourist town and thus is powered by the amazing folks working in the service and hospitality industry. And a lot of those people are hurting. So we're setting up fundraising efforts of our own. For example, hit the show notes of this post to see all the voice actors, including yours truly, available for cameos, where 100% of the proceeds raised in the coming months will benefit hurricane relief efforts. Thank you to everyone who's responded to our initial call for these on social media.

[Cam Collins]

Over on our Teepublic shop, we've released a brand new design bearing the old God's logo and the phrase Helen High Water Came and We're still here. Every dollar made on those shirts will go to grassroots Appalachian relief efforts such as Beloved Asheville and Rise Irwin. In even more exciting news, brother Landon Blood has released a new single on Bandcamp entitled Sun Hold Killian Song that was recorded live at the national in Richmond, Virginia as part of our 2024 Unhallowed Grounds Tour. Those of you who are subscribed on Patreon recently heard this song at the end of September's monthly exclusive and now it's available for the whole family on our Bandcamp page at oldgodsofappalachia.bandcamp.com for $1 or pay. What? Just like our new tea, all proceeds from Sun hold on will benefit hurricane relief.

[Steve Schell]

Speaking of Patreon, there are some big changes coming to the ways we ask you to show your support for Old Gods and Deep Nerd Media. We made the decision early this year to launch our own paid subscription service. Powered by the good folks at Supercast, the Holler will be the new place for our kinfolk to find all the exclusive content you've come to expect from being a paid subscriber. Build Mama a Coffin, Blackmouth Dog the Door under the Floor, Familiar and Beloved, and all of our exclusive content will be available here. This new platform provides an easier way to access all of our subscribers only content through seamless integration with all your favorite podcast apps, and that will include the Spotify integration we know many of you have asked for. Supercast provides subscription services for other popular podcasts like My Favorite Murder and Pod Save America so they know what they're doing.

[Cam Collins]

Supercast is also offering to pledge a dollar for every person who joins the Holler during the first two weeks. Right now, there are over 11,000 of you subscribed at various levels on Patreon. Imagine how much help we could bring to the folks whose lives were impacted by Hurricane Helene just by y'all clicking a few buttons and swapping services. I know there are also many of you who left Patreon because you were frustrated with some of its limitations. We'd love it if y'all gave Supercast a try, and there's no better time than those first two weeks. The Holler opens on Friday, October 25th. That's one week from the day we're posting this. For those of you on Patreon, I know y'all are going to have a lot of questions and I'll be making a post there to address those here in the next couple of days so you can be ready to answer what I know will be a big one though. We are not closing Patreon at this time. If you opt to stick around on Patreon or if you need to wait a while before you make the switch, that's fine. We'll continue to post all our monthly exclusives for you folks, just as we have been.

[Steve Schell]

So to recap, family, the final shows of our Unhallowed Grounds tour have been postponed until June of 2025. Reach out to your venue if you have ticketing questions. The premiere of season five has been pushed back. Please look for that on December 5, 2024. We have several fundraisers going on right now so you can get yourself a little something nice and help folks impacted by Hurricane Helene at the Check out the show notes for direct links. And finally, we'll be rolling out a brand new subscription service come October 25th that has the potential to raise over $10,000 or more to help with hurricane relief in Appalachia as well.

[Cam Collins]

We know it's a lot to digest. Family. And in the coming days, we'll post all the details you need to navigate. Joining us over in the holler. You can find those on our socials. And for those of you on Patreon, we'll post specific instructions on how to migrate your membership over to the new supercast platform.

[Steve Schell]

We'll see you soon, family. See you real soon.