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YellaBird Media

Higher Grounds

A Drama and Fiction podcast Explicit

#104 in Drama · 🇨🇦 #158 in Drama · 🇧🇷
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About the show

In 1993, rock frontwoman Elle Harrison was found dead at Higher Grounds, the Nashville coffeehouse she owned with her three best friends. Authorities ruled it a suicide. Few believed that. Thirty years later, the remaining women break their silence for the first time. Told through candid interviews, Higher Grounds is an intimate oral history of lifelong friendship, ambition, and impossible choices, tracing four women’s lives from girlhood to the explosive moment everything came undone.

Newest episodes

I'm Coming Home | Episode 11

31 min

After a devastating loss brings Charles home to Nashville, he’s faced with a major decision about his future. In Las Vegas, a brush with the past and a sudden turn of events change Sylvia’s life forever. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia RichardsonGervais Weekes as Charles Richardson Janice Lynn Sykes as Roz MitchellKimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno - Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

The Upward Way | Episode 10

35 min

Elle’s Playboy cover sends shockwaves through the country, launching Wilder to unimaginable heights—but behind the scenes, the cost of that success begins to surface. As fame spirals out of control, Sylvia reaches a breaking point, and makes a quiet, desperate plea for something more. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia Richardson Robert Fleet as Gentry WilderJanice Lynn Sykes as Roz RichardsonTimothy Stonedancer Coleman as Gordon JenkinsKimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno - Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

Not Your Sweetheart | Episode 9

37 min

Gentry joins the house band on The Monte & Elle Comedy Hour. As tensions between the show’s stars mount, Elle starts pushing back against the image that made her famous. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Robert Fleet as Gentry WilderKaty Yoder as Elle HarrisonJanice Lynn Sykes as Roz RichardsonJerry Schultz as Monte RayburnAlexander Sloan as Cal PorterTimothy Stonedancer Coleman as Gordon JenkinsKyle Sanderson as Announcer Kimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno - Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

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All episodes

I'm Coming Home | Episode 11

31 min

After a devastating loss brings Charles home to Nashville, he’s faced with a major decision about his future. In Las Vegas, a brush with the past and a sudden turn of events change Sylvia’s life forever. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia RichardsonGervais Weekes as Charles Richardson Janice Lynn Sykes as Roz MitchellKimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno - Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

The Upward Way | Episode 10

35 min

Elle’s Playboy cover sends shockwaves through the country, launching Wilder to unimaginable heights—but behind the scenes, the cost of that success begins to surface. As fame spirals out of control, Sylvia reaches a breaking point, and makes a quiet, desperate plea for something more. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia Richardson Robert Fleet as Gentry WilderJanice Lynn Sykes as Roz RichardsonTimothy Stonedancer Coleman as Gordon JenkinsKimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno - Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

Not Your Sweetheart | Episode 9

37 min

Gentry joins the house band on The Monte & Elle Comedy Hour. As tensions between the show’s stars mount, Elle starts pushing back against the image that made her famous. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Robert Fleet as Gentry WilderKaty Yoder as Elle HarrisonJanice Lynn Sykes as Roz RichardsonJerry Schultz as Monte RayburnAlexander Sloan as Cal PorterTimothy Stonedancer Coleman as Gordon JenkinsKyle Sanderson as Announcer Kimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno - Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

Between Here and Chicago | Episode 8

29 min

*This episode contains depictions of domestic violence and other forms of violence that may be disturbing to some listeners.In Las Vegas, Sylvia’s life with Carmine reaches a breaking point, and the consequences are impossible to undo. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia Richardson Robert Fleet as Gentry WilderStacey Lightman as Randi McMillanKimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno - Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

The House Always Wins | Episode 7

40 min

*This episode contains depictions of domestic violence and may be disturbing to some listeners.In Nashville, Joni begins to rediscover a sense of purpose amid the demands of motherhood. In Las Vegas, as Sylvia settles further into life with Carmine, the truth of who he is begins to reveal itself. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia Richardson Cynthia Ergenbright as Joni McKayJanice Lynn Sykes as Roz MitchellStacey Lightman as Randi McMillanRobert Fleet as Gentry Wilder Kimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno - Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

Luck Be A Lady | Episode 6

36 min

In Las Vegas, Sylvia meets a young musician named Gentry Wilder, but her attention is quickly claimed by another man. After a violent encounter leaves her shaken, her life begins to take a different path. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia RichardsonStacey Lightman as Randi McMillan Robert Fleet as Gentry Wilder Gervais Weekes as Charles Richardson Kimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno as Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

You Can't Go Home Again | Episode 5

37 min

In the aftermath of a devastating year, the girls begin finding their footing in lives that look nothing like the ones they once imagined. A wedding brings Roz and Elle back to Nashville for the first time in years. Old friendships are rekindled, but the distance between their worlds is impossible to ignore. And in New Orleans, Sylvia wrestles with the growing divide between the girl she once was and the woman she is becoming. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia Richardson Cynthia Ergenbright as Joni McKayJanice Lynn Sykes as Roz MitchellKaty Yoder as Elle HarrisonStacey Lightman as Randi McMillan Gervais Weekes as Charles Richardson Kimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno - Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

Nineteen Dollars and Eighty-Three Cents | Episode 4

40 min

It’s 1970. The girls are scattered across the country, trying to hold onto each other through letters as their lives start to split at the seams. In Louisiana, Sylvia is pushed into survival mode by a relentless series of events. In Nashville, Joni is left to navigate a new kind of loneliness, when a day of celebration turns into a night she will never forget.Written and produced by Kimberly Conway. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia Richardson Cynthia Ergenbright as Joni McKay Gervais Weekes as Charles Richardson Kimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno as Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com © 2026 YellaBird Media. All rights reserved

The End of an Era | Episode 3

40 min

It’s 1969. The Divine Darlings are riding high on their first studio recording when real life closes in. A humiliating scene in a school parking lot. The Vietnam War divides the nation. As the world outside grows louder and more volatile, the girls are forced to make difficult choices, and the future they once imagined begins to slip out of reach. Written and produced by Kimberly Conway. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia Richardson Cynthia Ergenbright as Joni McKay Janice Lynn Sykes as Rozalyn MitchellKaty Yoder as Elle HarrisonGervais Weekes as Charles Richardson Kimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Rachanee Lumayno as Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com © 2026 YellaBird Media. All rights reserved

The Divine Darlings | Episode 2

34 min

It’s 1967. Sylvia, Roz, Joni, and Elle form a singing group called The Divine Darlings. What starts on church stages quickly grows into something bigger. But as ambition begins to surface and first loves complicate loyalties, the four friends take their first real step toward the spotlight—unaware of where that step will lead. Written and produced by Kimberly Conway. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia Richardson Cynthia Ergenbright as Joni McKay Janice Lynn Sykes as Rozalyn MitchellKaty Yoder as Elle HarrisonGervais Weekes as Charles Richardson Kimberly Conway as Kat SingletonJennifer Tzoumas as Allison Andrews Rachanee Lumayno as Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com © 2026 YellaBird Media. All rights reserved

The Summer of '62 | Episode 1

37 min

In the series premiere, journalist Kat Singleton arrives at Higher Grounds to speak with the women behind Nashville’s most infamous coffeehouse. Thirty years ago, the coffeehouse made international headlines when child star turned rock icon Elle Harrison was found dead in its parking lot. Six weeks later, mobster Carmine D’Orazio was gunned down in the same spot. Both cases were closed quickly, but questions have lingered for decades. Now, for the first time, the women who built Higher Grounds are ready to speak. Told through candid interviews, Higher Grounds traces four women’s lives across the decades—friendship, ambition, fame, and fallout—leading to the moment long-buried secrets erupted into one of Music City’s most explosive scandals. The story begins here, in the summer of ’62. Written and produced by Kimberly Conway. Dive deeper into the story and explore upcoming YellaBird productions at: www.yellabird.com Follow YellaBird Media: Instagram: @yellabirdmedia YouTube: YellaBird Media Theme song: “Everything Changes” by Laura Jane Jones, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Featuring performances by: Laura Jane Jones as Sylvia Richardson Cynthia Ergenbright as Joni McKay Janice Lynn Sykes as Rozalyn Mitchell Kimberly Conway as Kat Singleton Tara Madison as Reporter Brianne Buishas as Young Elle Kyle Sanderson as Announcer Rachanee Lumayno as Opening and Closing Narration Sound design and mixing by YellaBird Media. Mixing and mastering by Rick Such. Transcript and additional information available at: www.yellabird.com

Trailer

1 min

In 1993, rock frontwoman Elle Harrison was found dead at Higher Grounds, the Nashville coffeehouse she owned with her three best friends. Authorities ruled it a suicide. Few believed that. Thirty years later, the remaining women break their silence for the first time. Told through candid interviews, Higher Grounds is an intimate oral history of lifelong friendship, ambition, and impossible choices, tracing four women’s lives from girlhood to the explosive moment everything came undone. Higher Grounds is the debut fiction podcast series from YellaBird Media Premiering February 2026. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts. Written and produced by Kimberly Conway, Starring:Laura Jane Jones as SylviaCynthia Ergenbright as JoniJanice Lynn Sykes as RozKaty Yoder as ElleKimberly Conway as KatRobert Fleet as GentryGervais Weekes as CharlesStacey Lightman as Randiand a full cast Sound Design & Mixing: YellaBird MediaMixing & Mastering: Rick Such Website: www.yellabird.comInstagram:  @YellaBirdMedia   #HigherGroundsPodcast #fictionpodcast  #audiodrama  #womeninpodcasting #nashville #oralhistory #cinematicsound #womenauthors #scriptedpodcast #emotionalfiction #booktok

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