- [Narrator] Welcome to Peach Jam.

Recorded live in our GPB studios in Midtown Atlanta, featuring songs and stories from a sampling of the truly diverse and incredibly talented musicians who call the Peach State home.

(upbeat music) On this episode, we'll meet what might be the best band in Savannah.

(upbeat music) We'll discuss Montessori School and ballet with a rapper from Clarkston.

- I really enjoyed performing.

I didn't like going to class, like I didn't like the practice part of it, even though I recognized its importance.

- [Narrator] And we'll learn about the interesting day jobs of an Irish punk band from Atlanta.

First up, Celtic punk rock with The Muckers.

♪ The wicked thoughts will keep you awake.

♪ ♪ You can fight ♪ ♪ You can run ♪ ♪ But eventually ♪ ♪ The crash always comes ♪ ♪ We start to shiver ♪ ♪ We start to shake ♪ ♪ The wicked thoughts will keep you awake.

♪ ♪ And you can fight ♪ ♪ You can run ♪ ♪ But eventually ♪ ♪ The crash always comes ♪ ♪ No drops for seven days ♪ ♪ I tried to run away ♪ ♪ I just can't comprehend ♪ ♪ How my life ended up this way ♪ ♪ It started with one whiskey ♪ ♪ And it then became ten more ♪ ♪ Next thing you know ♪ ♪ They carried me out the door ♪ ♪ The morning cycle greets me ♪ ♪ I can't eat, I can't sleep ♪ ♪ So I might as well start drinking again ♪ ♪ This isn't who I wanna be ♪ ♪ My medicine is killing me ♪ ♪ But I'm not sure exactly when ♪ ♪ We start to shiver ♪ ♪ We start to shake ♪ ♪ The wicked thoughts will keep you awake.

♪ - Hi, I'm Randall English.

- Hi, I am Jeff Costello.

- Hello, I'm Eric Betsill.

- I'm Ty Watkins.

- Hey, y'all, I'm Dave Long.

- I'm Jeff Shaw.

And we are The Muckers.

The easiest thing to say is we play Celtic Rock, but we play a lot of weird stuff, so.

- I guess the first question that comes to mind is why is there an Irish folk punk band from Atlanta?

- Um, well- - I don't know.

- Yeah.

(chuckles) I moved here from a much more Irish town than Atlanta.

I'm from Buffalo, New York.

When I moved to Boston, I posted something on Craigslist that was like, hey, fiddle and mandolin player specializes in Irish music.

And within 24 hours I couldn't, like I was telling people, I can't even consider you.

I have too many people from the first day, that I need to weeded out and figure out who I wanna play with.

And then I moved to Atlanta and I did the same post.

And it was literally not a single response.

♪ Whoa, start to shiver ♪ ♪ You start to shake ♪ ♪ The wicked thoughts will keep you awake ♪ ♪ You can fight ♪ ♪ You can run ♪ ♪ But eventually the crash always comes ♪ ♪ We start to shiver ♪ ♪ We start to shake ♪ ♪ The wicked thoughts will keep you awake.

♪ ♪ You can fight ♪ ♪ You can run ♪ ♪ But eventually the crash always comes ♪ ♪ But eventually the crash always comes ♪ ♪ But eventually the crash always comes ♪ - But there is Irish music in Atlanta.

I mean, anywhere there's jobs, you're gonna find the Irish diaspora.

That's where Jeff found me.

You know, it's a small, tight-knit community.

Maybe about, you know, 50 plus like active musicians at any given time.

But, you know, we're here, we do our thing.

And I was very happy to find these guys though, to gimme sort of an outlet to rock out a little bit more beyond the jigs and the reels, you know?

- So if the community of people who play Irish music is 50-ish people, how many of those people play the accordion?

- Me and Eileen and one guy, Sean and I guess, sometimes Bernard.

Yeah, like that's it.

- We're on a first name, We're on a first name basis with all of 'em.

- That's incredible.

- Yeah.

- I love that, I do.

♪ I got my first taste in Western New York.

♪ ♪ It was the Tolomore, I do believe ♪ ♪ Enchanted by the strength of such a spirit ♪ ♪ I resolved to try them all with no reprieve ♪ ♪ Within a month, my life was all in shambles ♪ ♪ The taxman came and took away my home ♪ ♪ With nothing but a pindel and a bottle ♪ ♪ We hit the road to forever Rome ♪ ♪ Well, I look behind at all the burning bridges ♪ ♪ This place my home will no more be ♪ ♪ So I jumped on a train and headed westward ♪ ♪ Whisky tango, you have made a fool of me ♪ (folk music) ♪ I came upon a temptress in New Orleans ♪ ♪ Her Cajun charm set my heart aflame ♪ ♪ After flying me all evening with the Absinthe ♪ ♪ She transformed all my money into shame ♪ ♪ I tried to find work upon a freighter ♪ ♪ But the first mate recognized me from the north ♪ ♪ He whipped out a file of all my exploits ♪ ♪ And the captain received a full report ♪ ♪ Well, I looked behind at all the burning bridges ♪ ♪ This place, my home will no more be ♪ ♪ So I jumped train that headed northward ♪ ♪ Whiskey tango, you have made a fool of me ♪ - Now you guys have jobs and kids and families and things.

This, The Muckers is not your full-time job.

- I wish.

- Yeah, yeah.

- It'd be great.

- The day the Muckers pay my rent.

- Yes, me too.

- So give me a rundown of what your daily jobs are.

- Start.

- Well, I'm a, yeah, we can start with me.

I'm a data manager at the CDC I work with Polio.

The data side.

- Yeah, that sounds like actually really important.

- Yeah.

- You shouldn't be here, shouldn't you be at work?

- No, that's in the morning, it's, you know.

- And Jeff?

- I am a principal software engineer at Cox Automotive.

- Okay.

- I'm a, a mental health therapist working in private practice at a place called Marietta Counseling for Children and Adults in Marietta, obviously.

- I am the King of France.

(everyone laughs) - Ty is the actual professional musician in the band.

- Is that right, he's right, so- - No, I'm a full-time musician and audio engineer.

- [Interviewer] Okay.

- Yeah.

- [Interviewer] So do you play with other bands too?

- I do.

- [Interviewer] Okay.

- It's a wrestling match with Ty.

- He's polyjamerous.

- Yes.

- polyjamerous, that's the word.

Yes, polyjamerous.

- Interesting, all right, I like that, I like that.

- I'm an arborist, I work for the state government.

- Okay.

- Yeah.

- Ranger Dave.

- Forester, not a ranger, okay?

- I send him all my pictures of like plants.

I'm like, what plant is this?

- Yeah.

- It's very useful to have in the band.

- Sometimes.

- And I am a magazine editor for a very, very boring commercial real estate magazine.

- Well, you really selling it.

- They're gonna hear that - Anybody who would be interested in it already gets it.

So I don't need to sell it.

♪ The ashes from the fire ♪ ♪ Start to smolder, then to burn ♪ ♪ The spark becomes a bonfire ♪ ♪ Then an overwhelming blaze ♪ ♪ Nothing now can stop you ♪ ♪ It consumes all in it's way ♪ ♪ I see all the destruction ♪ ♪ Like I'm watching from above ♪ ♪ Everything I want aflame, with everyone I love ♪ ♪ The fire is right outside door ♪ ♪ It's coming after me ♪ ♪ I reach up for the water ♪ ♪ But find only gasoline because I'm too old ♪ ♪ A young drunk I'm ♪ ♪ Too old ♪ ♪ A young drunk I'm ♪ ♪ Too old ♪ ♪ A young drunk I'm ♪ ♪ Too old ♪ ♪ I should know better I'm ♪ ♪ Too old ♪ ♪ A young drunk I'm ♪ ♪ Too old ♪ ♪ A young drunk I'm ♪ ♪ Too old ♪ ♪ A young drunk I'm ♪ ♪ Too old ♪ ♪ I should know better ♪ - [Narrator] Coming up, A band from Savannah who devised a unique way of distinguishing themselves.

- Should I tell him the whole story or... - Yeah.

- Okay so- - Yeah, well now you have to.

- Yeah.

- But First Wiley from Atlanta shows us what he means when he says he plays alternative blues.

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- [Narrator] And now Wiley from Atlanta on Peach Jam.

♪ Yeah, no, no ♪ ♪ I knew I was wrong ♪ ♪ But then again, who's right anymore ♪ ♪ You've been gone for so long.

♪ ♪ Nothing really get me high anymore.

♪ ♪ Anymore.

♪ ♪ I'm dumb, I messed up ♪ ♪ Still do way too much ♪ ♪ You say I'm too much for you ♪ ♪ But it felt like I wasn't enough ♪ ♪ I burn all your things ♪ ♪ I break while you bend ♪ ♪ You made some new friends baby ♪ ♪ That I don't really like ♪ ♪ But I'll try to pretend ♪ ♪ Would you do the same for me, baby ♪ - My name's Wiley from Atlanta.

I am from the east side of Atlanta.

I grew up in Clarkston for the most part, off of East Ponts.

Like Exit 40.

Yeah I mean, my family moved around a little bit.

Like we used to live in East Lake, we lived near Decatur.

But yeah, so, I don't know, grew up in Clarkston, started making music when I was like, 14 is when I started really recording myself.

And I would describe my genre as alternative blues or alternative R&B.

With like an emphasis more on the B, I guess.

Not that I don't have rhythm, just that it feels bluesy to me, you know?

♪ Tell me that you need me ♪ ♪ Even if it ain't how you feel ♪ ♪ I've been a long time in love ♪ ♪ Still willing to try it for you ♪ ♪ I made up my mind ♪ ♪ When I was young ♪ ♪ I would give up my life to love you ♪ ♪ I'm dumb, I messed up ♪ ♪ Still do way too much ♪ ♪ You said I'm too much for you ♪ ♪ But it felt like I wasn't enough ♪ ♪ I burn all your things ♪ ♪ I break while you bend ♪ ♪ You made some new friends, baby ♪ ♪ That I don't really like ♪ ♪ But I'll try to pretend ♪ - I went to Montessori school when I was a kid, which explains a lot if you know me.

'Cause like, you know, Montessori kids, we kind of, kind of weird.

- Okay.

- Just 'cause Montessori is a really unique thing.

I do think a lot of people have an impression that it's like, oh, it's some kind of crazy alternative school.

Like, nah, like you have to do the same stuff, you know, just in a different way.

And you have a lot more independence and sort of freedom to decide what you want to do.

And I think that directly contributed to me making music and like wanting to be creative and make art in general.

Because, I mean, also 'cause I had no great love for school, but it's also like Montessori really encouraged that kind of, you can choose what you want to do and like who you want to be in a way.

And everyone kind of gets along because of that environment personally.

- So like, being raised in some kind of creative, where creativity was encouraged.

- Yeah, and like, you know, Montessori punishment is kind of like, I'm really disappointed in you.

Like, it's like the way your parents, I don't, it's strange.

- Yeah.

- My worst punishment I ever had was I was removed from the classroom for like three days.

It's hard to describe, but it was like we, like my friend and I got in trouble.

We had to sit in the art classroom and we just weren't allowed to like be a part of the community.

Which at first I was like whatever.

And then you just come to really, my friend like really couldn't handle it.

He would come in every day and be like, "I'm not doing this anymore".

And I was like, it's all good man, you know.

We just gotta keep our heads down.

But yeah, it's very different from the way that you get in trouble, you know, middle school and everything.

♪ Stretching out my legs like the grabber ♪ ♪ Lavender coup ♪ ♪ Drink the dregs from the challace ♪ ♪ I'm backing the booth smoking on true solids ♪ ♪ Knowledge and actual proof ♪ ♪ Keep a true scholar, body on the akkia too ♪ ♪ Don't you be spilling juice ♪ ♪ Don't be passively truth ♪ ♪ You got a higher power ♪ ♪ A lie for them early hours shower ♪ ♪ Water stretching out your muscles ♪ ♪ Like the fountain of youth ♪ ♪ Take of your pride ♪ ♪ Leave it at the door ♪ ♪ Know we drunk off moonlight babe ♪ ♪ Dancing real slow ♪ ♪ Take of your pride ♪ ♪ Leave it on the floor now, baby ♪ ♪ Know we both get so high ♪ ♪ Just hold me real close ♪ ♪ You done started then gathered me ♪ ♪ To the bottoms of bottles that kept me hollow ♪ ♪ I'm only a product of problems I kept inside of me ♪ ♪ Trying to hide a side of me from you ♪ ♪ I try to swallow anxiety ♪ ♪ Panic and piety ♪ ♪ Anger for me in danger ♪ ♪ It's strange when you got it made ♪ ♪ But players, they want you to make, don't get you excited ♪ ♪ We danced to heroes in phase ♪ ♪ Spade is a spade.

♪ ♪ You getting aged now, praying for an early retirement ♪ ♪ Take off your pride ♪ ♪ Leave it at the dawn now baby ♪ ♪ I know we both get so high ♪ ♪ Just hold me real close ♪ ♪ I said take off your pride ♪ ♪ Leave it on the floor now baby ♪ ♪ We both drunk off moonlight, hey ♪ - And when you mentioned the confidence from being on stage, you are a trained, I don't know what it's called, is it a ballerina?

Is that you're, you're not, - Yeah.

- Are you a ballerina?

- Well, I think, like I could be completely wrong, but I do think that they may refer to male ballerinas as like ballerinos, but pass.

- Okay, I don't know.

- Like I would rather be called a ballerina than whatever a ballerino is.

- Okay.

- That sounds ludicrous to me.

But yeah, yeah, I did ballet for eight years.

- From what ages?

- I was probably six when I started.

But yeah, I did it- - Are you dressed as like a ladybug or something?

- No, so that's the other thing.

Like, I mean, kind of I'm glad that it wasn't that.

- Okay.

- Because it was very like, you know, I wore black tights, white T-shirt.

And then like, as you get older for the recitals and stuff, the boys have to wear like really uncomfortable stuff.

I mean, I'm, it's way more uncomfortable for the girls anyway 'cause they have to be on point and stuff when you get older.

And we don't have to do that.

But yeah, I would have all this crazy hot, you know, velvet frills, like itchy, you know, it was insane.

But yeah, I don't know.

Ballet, I really enjoyed performing.

I didn't like going to class.

Like, I didn't like the practice part of it, even though I recognized its importance.

But yeah, like being on stage, you know, it was awesome.

We would perform at the Georgia Tech First Center and that's also where I went to theater camp when I was little.

So like, that stage was pretty formative as far as like my first experiences with an audience.

Which I'm sure, I mean, anytime you're on stage and like an audience reacts to what you're doing in a positive way, you're kind of like, wow, this feels amazing.

At least some people, some people are like, I would rather die than go on that stage.

And I had friends like that and I just, I don't know, I always loved it.

(blues music) ♪ I need, I need, I need love ♪ ♪ Yeah, hey ♪ ♪ I need someone ♪ ♪ I need some love ♪ ♪ Visions of a daughter ♪ ♪ Oh my brother, give her cousins ♪ ♪ Hey, yeah ♪ ♪ Oh my brother ♪ ♪ I need some loving ♪ ♪ I need some water, hey ♪ - [Narrator] Is soap the best band in Savannah?

Some people think so.

This is soap on Peach Jam.

(calm music) ♪ I look into your eyes ♪ ♪ Should come to no surprise ♪ ♪ You really wanna feel the heat ♪ ♪ But then you can't breathe ♪ ♪ And when I walk into the room ♪ ♪ My friendly senses go away ♪ ♪ Was waiting for my diva ♪ ♪ But instead you brought the rain ♪ ♪ Do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do ♪ ♪ Do, do, do ♪ ♪ When I look into your eyes ♪ ♪ I know exactly what I'm looking at ♪ ♪ And I can't wait to take you ♪ ♪ And make you mine, turn you into sin ♪ ♪ Swallow you up, let me make you sweat ♪ - Hi, I'm Joa.

- I'm Renee, - I'm Antar.

And we're Soap from Savannah, Georgia.

And we are a rock band.

- And y'all are apparently the best band in Savannah according to somebody.

Tell me about that.

- It's quite an honor, but I know all these musicians in Savannah and Savannah has so much talent that, you know, that's absolutely nice.

You know, the people voted for us this past year in a local poll.

- But you are the, according to Connect Savannah the best rock band.

- Yes.

- The best blues band.

And the best Americana band.

- Yeah.

- In Savannah.

- Yes.

- Like, that's a lot.

- That is a lot, yeah.

It was totally unexpected.

Like I said, we just go out there, we just do our music and once again, it goes to the fact of people trying to like, define us as well.

It's like, 'cause they defined us as a rock band and a blues band and a Americana band.

And I'm like, I found it very interesting that people put us in places that we don't even expect to go.

♪ 'Cause you crash my party ♪ ♪ And you crash my party ♪ ♪ Yeah, you crash my party ♪ ♪ Yeah, you crash my party ♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na ♪ ♪ Na, na, na ♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na ♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na ♪ ♪ Na, na, na ♪ ♪ Na, na, na, na ♪ ♪ 'Cause you crash my party ♪ ♪ And you crash my party ♪ ♪ Yeah, you crash my party ♪ ♪ Yeah, you crash my party ♪ ♪ And now crash us ♪ - Tell me more about the music scene in Savannah because my perception of Savannah is it's very much a tourist town and a vacation town that people either go for the weekend or for the week, or for in March.

I guess people lose three, four, or five weeks at a time around St. Patrick's Day.

- Yeah, - Yeah, yeah.

- But it's a town that a lot of people travel to, but there's not a ton of people who live there.

However, there's a robust music scene in Savannah.

- That's exactly how I'd describe it, it's a robust scene.

I came from New York and you know, obviously there's lots of talent there.

And then I came to Savannah on vacation, you know, met the man of my dreams and here I am.

So, but I was just absolutely astounded when I came here to see how much talent there is.

And then, you know, to win the awards too is just, it's just absolutely incredible because there is so much talent.

- And the fact that like, even us have been in the scene for about like, you know, around 20 years now.

Like there've been times when like, we'd be going out and just like, oh my God, like this has been in this town all this time and like, we haven't like, seen it.

And just the amount of talent that's just bubbling under the surface in Savannah is just amazing to me.

♪ La, la, la, la, la ♪ ♪ La, la, la ♪ ♪ La, la, la, la ♪ ♪ La, la, la, la, la ♪ ♪ La, la, la ♪ ♪ La, la ♪ ♪ Let the waves carry me ♪ ♪ To another dream ♪ ♪ And let the waves carry me ♪ ♪ To another dream ♪ ♪ Let the waves carry me ♪ ♪ To another dream ♪ ♪ Let the waves carry me ♪ ♪ To another dream ♪ ♪ Oh, let the waves carry me ♪ ♪ To another dream ♪ ♪ Let the waves carry me ♪ ♪ To another dream ♪ - Where does a name come from?

Because it's incredibly difficult to Google.

- Yeah.

- Yes, it is, it is.

- We're really great at names.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Should I tell 'em the whole story or?

- Yeah.

- Okay so- - [Interviewer] Yeah, well now you have to.

- Yeah.

- [Interviewer] Yeah.

- I mean, we, we've been going for Soap for, for a while and you know, because soap is such a basic name, there are other bands in the world called Soap and we had to figure out what to do about that.

So I jokingly said as, you know, making an acronym, call it Sex on the Platter.

And everybody loved that, surprisingly.

So now our official business name is Sex on the Platter.

- We're registered with Brad Raffensperger.

- Yes.

- Yeah, okay.

- The state let us do this.

- The banks all agreed that this is acceptable and they didn't think we were in some industry that we shouldn't talk about.

- So when you receive checks, people make out a check to- - Yes.

- Yeah, Sex on a Platter.

- Yes, Sex on a Platter, LLC.

- Yes.

- Yes.

- LLC?

- Limited Liability Company.

- Is that how you signed the release for here?

- Yeah.

- You realize my boss is gonna look at that?

- Yeah, yeah, he's gonna be like, "Who are these porn stars?"

- Who did you bring in?

- Sex on a Platter?

What are you doing sir?

- Yes.

Welcome to GPB.

- Yes.

Trips to the bank are interesting.

- I'm sure.

- They're looking, they're like, oh, all this cash.

(everyone laughs) ♪ Down my love ♪ ♪ Run down my love ♪ ♪ I'm running, I'm running ♪ ♪ I'm running on back to you ♪ ♪ I'm running, I'm running ♪ ♪ I'm running on back to you ♪ ♪ I'm running, I'm running ♪ ♪ I'm running on back to you ♪ ♪ I'm running, I'm running ♪ ♪ I'm running on back to you ♪ ♪ You rock ney, ney ♪ ♪ Yeah, you rock, ney, ney ♪ ♪ You rock ney, ney ♪ ♪ Yeah, you rock, ney, ney ♪ ♪ You rock ney, ney ♪ ♪ And you rock ney, ney ♪ ♪ And you rock ney, ney ♪ ♪ And you rock ney, ney ♪ ♪ And you rock ney, ney ♪ (rock music) - [Narrator] Do you wanna hear more songs and stories?

Check out our podcast at GPB.org/PeachJam.

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