The Gun in the Dark Backyard

As four men are held in a Virginia jail, they record an album to chronicle their efforts to break free from an oppressive cycle of addiction and incarceration. In each music-infused episode of this documentary series, host and trailblazing hip-hop artist Speech Thomas meets a musician at a crossroads in their uphill struggle for freedom, learns what brought them to this inflection point, and helps them record a song that captures this critical moment in their life. From soulful country to fiery hip-hop and haunting R&B, this music affirms the lives of people who are written off by society. And amidst a re-entry crisis afflicting millions of Americans every year, these intimate stories from behind the walls of a local jail ask: What does it take to rebuild a life after incarceration? Track Change is a joint production of Narratively and VPM. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Steve was a father of five and a devout Mormon, when he was dragged into a world that upended everything he knew to be true. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Silvon was shot by the police outside his home, and woke up handcuffed to a chair, fighting for his life in more ways than one. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike is an aspiring writer feeling lost and confused, when his therapist makes a shocking proposition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephanie was pregnant with her second child when she started having disturbing premonitions. Everyone wrote them off, including her husband, Jonathan. And then things got strange. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Regina Louise bounced around foster homes and state institutions as a child, always wishing for the family she never had. She finally gets what she asked for — and then some.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Introducing Believable, a podcast from Narratively about how our stories define who we are. In each episode, we dive into a personal, eye-opening story where narratives conflict, and different perspectives about the truth collide. Coming soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices