The American South is seeping with eerie, dark tales that lie beneath its unique and majestic culture. In the Southern Gothicpodcast, siblings Brandon and Bryanne Schexnayder combine music, exhaustive research, and traditional southern storytelling to provide the real histories behind Southern legends.

Inspirations Behind Southern Gothic

Brandon and Bryanne Schexnayder grew up immersed in New Orleans history. Their parents were amateur genealogists who brought Brandon and Bryanne along on their trips to cemeteries and libraries to research New Orleans history. Brandon notes that there is no better place for spooky vibes than New Orleans (especially their graveyards!). 

Brandon is an audio engineer by trade. He produces country music in a recording studio in Nashville, TN. His job has taught him how to use sound to tell rich and meaningful stories. Bryanne is a professional archivist at the Louisiana State Museum. She has used her cataloguing skills to help conduct deep research for the Southern Gothic podcast episodes.

Southern Tales and Legends

Brandon and Bryanne have a nearly endless list of Southern tales and legends from which to choose. They focus on old myths that predate the modern (post-WWII) era. They vet numerous potential stories and try to find primary sources that can help flesh out the factual history behind these tales. They ultimately produce episodes on stories with the strongest historical sources.

Brandon finds that there are three primary categories of Southern tales. First, archetypal stories that originated elsewhere, but eventually moved to the American South and were adopted to the Southern landscape and culture. Second, stories of old plantation culture meant to teach lessons. Third, myths that helped cities and areas cope with/explain away bad things that previously took place (such as the “Witch of Yazoo City”). 

Brandon and Bryanne have even explored their own family’s history. “The Madison County Grey” episode tells the story of their ancestor who died in a camp outside of Richmond, VA at the start of the Civil War. Legend has it, the day after his death, he appeared to his two daughters outside their house. The family received a letter notifying them of his death several days later. “The Madison County Grey” episode digs into the story of their ancestor’s life and follows the path of his military unit after his death.

Catch up on all of the Payne in the Pod episodes, here. And don’t forget, Payne in the Pod is on Patreon – become a Patron! 

Podcast Recommendations:

Scary Story Podcast

History That Doesn’t Suck

Radiolab

Carolina Shout

Find Southern Gothic at:

Southerngothicmedia.com

Instagram: @southerngothicmedia

Twitter: @SoGoPodcast

Facebook Page: Southern Gothic

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