The Secrets of Sound 👽🛸

Guest Writer

August 12, 2025

The Secrets of Sound 👽🛸

Written by: Josee Wolfe

I have been saving all of my words for this blog…

Sound Haven was so much more than an indescribable experience – it was an earth-kissed spiritual journey. I always heard of Jaceland being a magical place, finally seeing it myself gave me a whole new perspective of festivals.

This rare, one-of-a-kind event takes place in Whitwell, Tennessee – tucked deep back in the woods, Sacred Hive completely submerges you in mother nature. The connection was instant upon arrival. This was my first Sound Haven, and first smaller festival. Can I just say…I was shown BEYOND my expectations.

Community and Sustainability:

While only being familiar with a handful of the artists performing, I knew in advance how insane this event is at curating beautiful underground lineups. Providing me the space to expand my palette to more intricate genres – something I was especially excited for.

“Sound Haven advocates for underground festival culture – authentic production and artists outside the corporate mainstream norm. We strive to showcase smaller artists who deserve the spotlight but don’t always get the big festival bookings. We also aim to foster a safe space where people can express themselves without judgement, connect with others, and find liberation for their inner child. The experience is our motive, not the profit.”
– Jered Ardry; Owner of Sound Haven Music Festival and Sacred Hive

The sense of community present every day has impacted me deeply. Seeing such creative and talented individuals express their emotions, share their art, stories, and laughs, with absolute strangers – who, by midweek, had become your favorite neighbor to run into and hug – was truly heart warming. The people I met and were surrounded by, became my family. This was a huge mind shift from mainstream or larger events.

MUSIC, SOUND, PRODUCTION:

The vibe of Haven is much more relaxed. NO SCHEDULING CONFLICTS! Yes, you heard me right! The main stage, ‘UFO Stage’, starts music each day at 3:00PM. Would you believe me if I told you everyone sets up camp and gets comfortable?

For someone who has only ever attended big festivals, this was so out of the ordinary – but SUCH a luxury. Sound Haven spoiled me, honestly.

This year’s line up showcased a diverse range of underground talent like Ternion Sound Shades, Tree Gaud, Chefboyarbeatz, alongside renowned deep dub and bass performers including The Widdler, Distinct Motive, Canabliss, and many more! Seeing such a wide variety of genres in such an intimate setting really captured the essence of the “homie fest feel”.

The venue has a smaller, but very spacious layout. Walking in, you’re greeted with a selection of food and art/clothing vendors on each side of the path, which opens you up to the iconic homie hangout – ’UFO Stage’.

Running on the ‘Function-One Vero VX’ system, this production included 21 total F124 subs. My jaw stayed on the floor in front of this transcendental stage. That’s not all – of course they had incredible lasers, even better…bubble machines at nearly all the stages! This created the sweetest glitter effect when two combined–ethereal.

Heading past ‘UFO Stage’, to the left you find ‘Planetary’ (my personal favorite). The visuals there continuously had me in awe – the most detailed I have ever seen! ‘Planetary’ starts music at 12:00AM, ending with the most out-of-body sunrise sets each day at 6AM. Bass naps here were gnarly – the ‘Element 5’s’ put me right to sleep.

Camp Life:

My group arrived on Wednesday, just in time to set up for the pre-party. Camping is all in one general area, with a short walk to grab ice, hit a shower, or even take a morning stroll into the venue for breakfast. The path to the venue was quick and easy – 10 minutes max from the back of the camp area, where you’ll find a renegade spot called, “The Crash Site”.

Pre-party was held at “Kouch Stage”, ran by the homies ‘Kouch Kollective’ back in Charlotte, NC. This wooded area features some of the coolest art installations. The energy of the forest was sublime. Everywhere you turned, there was a piece of someone’s heart and soul, to put a smile on your face.

‘Kouch Stage’ brought in a massive ‘HSD Sound System’, consisting of 12 ‘HSD BattleHawk Subwoofers’, 4 ‘HSD Haymakers’, and 2 ‘HSD Hammers’! I could feel the bass in my internal being.

Exploring Jaceland:

Sound Haven provides an endless amount of shaded areas, places to relax, even grab an IV if you are feeling under the weather. There was always a place to make you feel comfortable– and comfort is HUGE on my festival checklist!

Another big green flag to me: food choices. Each vendor offered copious portions at super affordable prices, vegan options, and the BEST QUALITY festival food I have ever indulged in! I seriously still won’t shut up about the endless pit of grub here.

My favorite food options of the week; ‘Space Fruit LLC’, ‘Grilled Cheese Incident’ ‘Comics Charlie’s Concessions’ ‘Little Coffee Joint’

Something so special about this place is seeing everyone come together. Jaceland is a fever dream created for the people, by the people. The ambiance is child-like, expressing playfulness of human interaction. The sense of care and support is unlike any festival I have attended.

I was able to meet and speak with so many creators that I love and admire. One of my favorite connections I made that weekend was with Celia Thompson, the owner and creator of ‘Super Hot and Mysterious’. While I have seen how hard she works through a screen, observing her creativity in real time was such a treat.

Her booth included one-of-a-kind upcycled sets and pieces. Forgot your favorite set at home? Check out Celia’s spot – amazing quality and very affordable pieces, created by the most radiant soul! I promise these items come made with lots of love!

Favorite vendors of the week include; ‘Your Highness LLC’, ‘Super Hot and Mysterious’, ‘Thoughts In Threads’, ‘Frankenbois By Briehirsh’ ‘Cosmic Wood Creations’ ‘Benny the Cannabus’

Each day spent in Jaceland was unique in its own way. This trip showed me how amazing smaller curated festivals can be – the sense of community, passion, the hard work that truly goes into making sure the people are taken care of and provided for.

It was incredible to see this place come to life. I will forever remember how special my first Sound Haven was. This is your sign to try out a smaller, more intimate homie fest. The energy surrounding these events are unreal.