When You Wake
A podcast of not just ghost stories.
Episodes below
When You Wake
Episode 01: Introduction
From the Taverna at Lichenwood, this is the introductory episode of When You Wake, a podcast of not just ghost stories.
This podcast concerns itself with ghosts, with memory, and with the residue that falls off each moment, like ash from cigarette.
When You Wake
Episode 02: Growing Up Haunted
Ronaldo grew up in a haunted house at a time of tremendous cultural change. We hear from Ronaldo. But first, voices and lights.
When You Wake
Episode 03: The Ghost who Played the Fiddle
Anne Chesky Smith is the executive director of the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA). The Western North Carolina Historical Association “celebrates the stories” that “define and shape” the mountains of western North Carolina. “Folklore and storytelling are a huge part of the local culture here and a way to pass down stories from generations,” said Chesky Smith. “It’s important to do so, from oral stories, community presentations, and even podcasts.”
Today, Anne shares a Father’s Day story about reconciliation and string music.
This episode is recommended for fans of ghost stories, haunted house stories, bed and breakfasts, Asheville, Appalachia, folklore, western North Carolina, Percey Shelley, forgiveness, and bluegrass music
When You Wake
Episode 04: Salem Reverb
What is it about Salem? Lotta ghosts in a lotta houses. What is it about this little coastal town, and what can it reveal to us about America, then and now? Giovanni Alabiso helps us understand what happened in Salem, and what keeps on happening.
This is the first in a three-part trilogy that introduces some early American ghosts
Recommended for fans of ghost stories, Salem and the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692, ghost stories, haunted houses, Cotton Mather, Yale, early virology, Edgar Cayce, energy lines, Lisa Randall, 27 dimensions, Massachusetts, and Ambrose Bierce.
When You Wake
Episode 05: Maryland my Maryland
Today we visit Maryland’s eastern shore and then continue on to Mob Town.
This is the second in a three-part series where I visit a few of the 13 original colonies and report back on what these early American ghosts reveal about this strange and unsettling place we call home. As you’d expect, we’ll get into more than just ghosts.
The episode is recommended for fans of ghost stories, folklore, Maryland and Maryland history, Frederick Douglas, Big Lizz, Kristina Gaddy, Shore Monthly Magazine, Maryland my Maryland, civil war history, John Waters, and Club Charles.
When You Wake
Episode 06: Ghosts of Gettysburg
The ripple effects of what went down in Gettysburg are still being felt today. Big time. In this episode, Robert gets a battlefield tour then hears some ghost stories from writer Mark Nesbitt. This is the third in a three-part series exploring what the ghosts of early America can teach us about the present day.
The episode is recommended for fans of ghost stories, folklore, Toni Morrison, Beloved, Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln, hauntings, civil war, multiverse, paranormal activity, the blue boy, consciousness, late night dorm room bullshit sessions.
When You Wake
Episode 07: Lakes of the Clouds
The Lakes in the Clouds hut on Mount Washington in New Hampshire is along a moderately trafficked stretch of Appalachian Trail, mostly known for high winds and extreme temperature swings. And in this episode, guest Lindsay Robinson (who worked here one summer in the late 1990s) shares tales of a few of the many hikers who took their final steps along these craggy peaks. You won’t get these stories in any park service brochures.
Recommended for fans of ghost stories, New Hampshire, Mount Washington, the croo, the presence, Appalachian trail, hiking.
About When You Wake
When You Wake is a podcast of not just ghost stories and our origin story.
OE Sounds was started by two colleagues, Robert O’Shaughnessy and John Chilson. The pair had worked together at NewGround PR & Marketing with John as Content Director and Robert as President of Marketing and Digital Services. In this capacity, the pair helped produce several podcasts. Then, when the pandemic began in that fateful year of 2020, Robert and John had some time on their hands. Always creative, and always full of passion, sitting around wasn’t an option. Robert, a natural storyteller whose first book without pictures was by Stephen King, had always loved ghost stories. And John shared this love. So the pair hit upon an idea: travel the country and capture local folklore with an eye towards how those stories also tell something bigger, something about the culture and history of where the stories were born.
The series has concluded its first season. For season one, Robert travelled to New England, Maryland, and North Carolina. There he collected stories. Local folklore. Campfire tales. After capturing several hours of audio, Robert scripted a “narrative shell” around the audio in order to frame the story and present it to the podcast audience. John, meanwhile, serves as editor and producer. He is the guide on what works, and what doesn’t. And he then edits and produces the episode. The score was created by our resident composer Nicholas D’Amico and the series features contributions from guest composers. John takes the sound and engineers the music into each episode. When satisfied, the episode is launched