Osiris Media, the jam scene’s favorite podcast publisher, has officially branched out into a bold new domain. Family Tape Tree, a new audio drama created by Baldev Sandhu, has arrived as the scene staple’s first foray into fiction in years. Through the story of a teen connecting with her late father through adventures in his tape collection, the podcast explores and introduces the jam community and lifestyle through fresh eyes. Through this compelling lens, the series explores the intricacies of jam music, offering both a thrilling and approachable introduction to the music for the uninitiated and a comforting story for longtime Phish followers.

A description shared on the Osiris website elaborates on the plot and story dynamics of the podcast, describing Familly Tape Tree as “a surreal and absurd fictional podcasted rooted in the world of the improvisational jam band, Phish. It follows Lexi, a sensitive and surly teen, who discovers her deceased father’s collection of Phish cassette tapes from the ’90s while packing for college. Through ”grief magic” Lexi travels into the tapes and relives those memories with younger versions of her parents and their friends. Over the course of several groove-based-psychedelic-infused-head-bobbing-adventures with the memory of her late father, Lexi learns to come to terms with his death and is able to look forward to her future.”

Through sensitive and human interactions between the protagonist, her parents and the chosen family that surrounds them in flashbacks to the shows, the podcast gets at the core of jam music. As Lexi dives deeper into the music, new connections explain tapers, the lot and the root aesthetics, stylistic philosophy, antics and theatrics of the jam sound, plus more. Between the lines, there’s plenty of music, pulled from audience tapes of Phish and the Grateful Dead. The description reminds listeners, “Don’t forget to thank a taper!”

Family Tape Tree releases weekly on all podcast streaming platforms. For more information, visit osirispod.com.