In 1993, rock frontwoman Elle Harrison was found dead at Higher Grounds, the Nashville coffeehouse she owned with her three best friends. Authorities ruled it a suicide. No one believed that.

Thirty years later, the women who built the coffeehouse are ready to break their silence.

Told through candid interviews, Higher Grounds is an intimate portrait of lifelong friendship, ambition, and survival, tracing four women’s lives through the decades to the moment long-buried secrets erupted into one of Music City’s most infamous scandals.

Listen to the theme song

“EVERYTHING CHANGES”

By Laura Jane Jones

Apple Music
Spotify

Meet the Cast

  • Portrait of a woman with curly hair, wearing large earrings, a black top, and a loose jacket.

    Laura Jane Jones

    As Sylvia Richardson

  • Black and white photo of a middle-aged woman with wavy hair and a slight smile.

    Cynthia Ergenbright

    As Joni McKay

  • A smiling woman with styled hair, wearing hoop earrings and a necklace, taking a selfie in black and white.

    Janice Lynn Sykes

    As Roz Mitchell

  • Black and white portrait of a girl with straight hair and bangs, wearing a white t-shirt.

    Katy Yoder

    As Elle Harrison

  • Close-up portrait of an elderly man with a beard and short hair, in black and white.

    Robert Fleet

    As Gentry Wilder

  • Black and white portrait of a smiling young man wearing a checkered button-up shirt.

    Gervais Weekes

    As Charles Richardson

  • A black and white portrait of a woman with curly hair, wearing a dark top and layered necklaces, looking directly at the camera.

    Stacey Lightman

    As Randi McMillan

  • A young woman with long hair and a serious expression, wearing a turtleneck sweater, outdoors near a body of water.

    Brianne Buishas

    As Young Elle

  • Black and white portrait of a young man with dark hair, wearing a denim jacket, resting his arms on a surface and looking at the camera.

    Eden Gabay

    As Nigel Lawson

  • Portrait of a smiling man wearing a white dress shirt against a dark background.

    Timothy Stonedancer Coleman

    As Gordon Jenkins

  • Black and white selfie of a smiling woman with short hair wearing headphones and a necklace.

    Tara Madison

    As Reporter

  • Black and white portrait of a woman with wavy dark hair, wearing earrings and a button-up shirt, in front of a wooden panel background.

    Jennifer Tzoumas

    As Allison Andrews

  • A man with a beard and long hair wearing headphones and a plaid shirt, smiling at the camera.

    Alexander Sloan

    As Cal Porter

  • A young man with curly dark hair, wearing a patterned button-up shirt over a graphic T-shirt, looking to the side with a neutral expression, in a grayscale photo.

    Kyle Sanderson

    As Announcer

  • Black and white portrait of a young man with dark hair, wearing a blazer and checkered shirt, smiling subtly.

    Scott Mock

    As Carmine D’Orazio

  • A black and white portrait of a man with short dark hair, wearing a collared shirt, smiling slightly, looking at the camera.

    Adnan Kureishy

    As Pat

  • A man wearing glasses and headphones, smiling in a black and white photo.

    Jerry Schultz

    As Monte Rayburn

  • Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with long dark hair, wearing a plaid shirt and jacket.

    Rachanee Lumayno

    Opening & Closing Narration

Additional Credits

Higher Grounds was written and produced by Kimberly Conway

Sound Design & Mixing by: YellaBird Media

Casting by: Kimberly Conway & Shirley Scott

Mixing & Mastering by: Rick Such

Theme Song: Everything Changes by Laura Jane Jones