Matt Heckler, “St. Tomas,“ // GemsOnVHS™

Y’all know I’m a Tennessean for life. One of my favorite vistas in Tennessee, if not the world, is a mountain rising into the clouds, larger than life. Roan Mountain offers some of the most spectacular views along the Appalachian Trail, straddles the border with North Carolina and holds a special place in my heart. Not far from it lives another one of my favorite vistas, Matt Heckler playing his songs near Asheville, NC. So when Matt said he had a song that was particularly special to him, I knew we needed a place he could be amplified by nature itself, like a human antenna, beaming the sound waves to the universe. I didn’t know how fucking cold it would be, though. As Matt, myself, and Jeff Loops reached the peak on that rainy morning, I was concerned he wouldn’t be able to play. My hands were freezing from the altitude and the wet cold being in a literal cloud comes with. I managed to force my inert fingers to press the record button, and Matt began striking out chords and strings