In this episode, Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya explore In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man by Tom Junod. They discuss the author’s complex relationship with his charismatic and deeply flawed father, and how family secrets shape identity. This conversation examines masculinity, memory, and the lasting influence of fathers across generations.
Keeyen Martin returns to update us on his musical journey, from his early days in Atlanta to performing on arena stages alongside major R&B artists. He shares how consistency, authenticity, and live performance have shaped his growth as an artist. We also explore his mentorship series “Keeyen’s Keys” and his perspective on why real human connection still matters in music today.
In this episode, Peter and Orlando explore Kin by Tayari Jones. They discuss how the friendship between Annie and Niecy anchors the novel, along with Jones’ ideas about story “budget,” point of view, and why the first pages of a novel are the most valuable real estate. Plus, Author Tayari Jones shares practical creative writing advice about storytelling, character building, and narrative structure. If you love literary fiction or want insight into how great novels are crafted, this conversation offers both.
Atticus Roness joins the podcast to talk about power pop, songwriting influences, and building a band in Georgia’s thriving music scene. Atticus and his bandmates share stories about discovering music through The Beatles, working in a record store, and navigating the realities of touring, recording, and promoting independent music.
Author Ace Atkins joins us to discuss Everybody Wants to Rule the World, a Cold War spy novel set in 1985 Atlanta. We explore how real espionage history, including the story of KGB defector Vitaly Yurchenko, inspired this coming-of-age thriller about a teenager who believes his mother’s boyfriend is a Russian spy. If you love spy fiction, 1980s nostalgia, and Atlanta history, this episode reveals the surprising secrets behind the novel.
Americana singer-songwriter Reverend Hylton shares how sobriety, van life touring, and radical leaps of faith shaped both his music and his life. From playing intimate Georgia venues to performing nearly 200 shows a year while living on the road, he reflects on songwriting as therapy, fatherhood, and a transformative journey through the Grand Canyon. This episode explores creativity, resilience, and what it means to truly follow the dream.
In this episode, Peter and Orlando explore The Pain Brokers by Elizabeth Chamblee Burch, a gripping investigation into how call centers, lenders, lawyers, and doctors exploited women harmed by pelvic mesh implants. The book uncovers a scheme fueled by mass tort litigation, high-interest loans, and unnecessary surgeries that left victims financially and medically devastated. If you want to understand how America’s lawsuit industry can be manipulated, this conversation brings clarity and outrage in equal measure.
On this episode of Peach Jam, you meet Lloyd Carter, a South Georgia country artist whose music is rooted in community, storytelling, and soul. Lloyd talks with our host, Jeremy, about growing up in radio, finding his way back to music after burnout, and what it means to create art without chasing the charts. Along the way, you hear live performances and stories from Hahira, Georgia, the road, and the fourth quarter of life.
Peter and Orlando explore Rough House: A Father, a Son, and the Pursuit of Wrestling Glory, a deeply reported look at Georgia’s independent professional wrestling scene. Host Orlando Montoya explains how following a young wrestler from Barrow County changed his view of wrestling, revealing the physical risks, emotional toll, and fragile dreams behind the spectacle. If you are curious about indie wrestling, performance, and ambition, this conversation pulls back the curtain.
In this episode, we discuss Scarlett: Slavery’s Enduring Legacy in an American Family, a work of creative nonfiction that traces one white family’s deep ties to slavery on Georgia’s coast. By linking plantation history to present-day violence in Brunswick, the book shows how the legacy of slavery continues to shape life in Georgia today.
Slow Parade founder Matthew Pendrick joins us to talk about songwriting, touring, and what he calls 20th-century American vernacular music. You hear how a rotating cast of Atlanta musicians shapes each Slow Parade show, why inspiration can strike anywhere from a recycling center to a minivan, and how staying open keeps the songs alive.
Explore Angels at the Gate by Atlanta author Sherri Joseph, a campus novel that blends coming-of-age, mystery, and class tension. Listen in as Peter and Orlando unpack a student’s fatal fall, the secrets that ripple through a Southern college, and why this story resonates with anyone shaped by their college years.
Angels at the Gate by Sherri Joseph: A College Mystery of Class, Secrets, and Coming of Age
In this episode, you'll meet Gabriella “Guitar Gabby” Logan, founder of Guitar Gabby & The TxLips Band. This global rock collective and strategy-focused organization uplifts BIPOC women and gender-expansive musicians. We explore her journey from law to music, how TxLips Band creates flexible touring opportunities, and why strategic thinking matters for sustainable creative careers.
On this episode of the Peach Jam Podcast, you meet Danny Boone Alexander, the voice behind Rehab and the hit Sittin' at a Bar. Hear how a song the band treated as a joke quietly racked up more than a million plays on touch screen jukeboxes and sparked a new record deal and years of hard touring. From early drama class nerves to 256 shows in a single year, Danny opens up about home, family, and why he now focuses less on chasing hits and more on writing honest songs that last.
On this episode, Peter Biello and Orlando Montoya unpack Hot Desk by Atlanta author Laura Dickerman, a witty romantic comedy set inside rival New York publishing houses. You hear how a contested literary estate, a notorious twentieth-century “lion,” and a secret family connection collide with texting, Zoom, and office politics to test what it means to separate art from the artist. Stay for how the book’s dual timelines and workplace satire shape Ben and Rebecca’s love story.
Matthew Kaminski, the Braves’ organist known for trolling opposing players, is more than a ballpark entertainer. He's also a skilled musician, teacher, and bandleader. Mondo Hammondo, one of his many projects, allows Matthew to explore his more adventurous side by diving into the more obscure musical genres of Exotica (Tiki Bar Music)
When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her children, and her closest friend are left to find a way forward without the woman who has been the lynchpin of all their lives. Recorded live at the Savannah Book Festival, this special bonus episode of Narrative Edge features Peter Biello's full conversation with author Anna Quindlen.
In show business, being a 'triple threat' means mastering singing, dancing, and acting—and Conyers’ own Coley Gilchrist has done just that. Discover her story, her passion, and how she bring it all together on stage and beyond.
Hailing from Marietta, Ga., by way of Texas, Kyle Bradley’s brand of "country adjacent" Americana is full of soulful storytelling with more than a dash of fun. Heavily influenced by his literature teacher at Sprayberry High School, Kyle's musical journey hit full speed during his college days in Statesboro after some encouragement from his coworkers and friends.
