Feels Like Healing

This week my guest is Jude Rogers, a Welsh journalist, lecturer, arts critic and broadcaster. She is a music critic for The Guardian and also regularly writes features and articles for The Observer, New Statesmen and women's magazines such as Red. Rogers published her first book, The Sound of Being Human: How Music Shapes Our Lives in 2022, an account of the emotional and psychological impact that music has on us as humans but also a part-memoir of Jude's own ever-evolving relationship to music.

In this conversation we discuss the impact that losing her Dad at the age of 5 had on Jude and how she has found comfort and inspiration in writing and in music.

You can find more information about Jude by visiting her website: http://www.juderogers.com/

The Sound of Being Human is available now from White Rabbit Books : https://store.whiterabbitbooks.co.uk/products/the-sound-of-being-human

Feels Like Healing is a show where I talk to individuals about how they've used creativity as a way of helping them heal.

These conversations are here to show how we find comfort and solace through the act of being creative and how creativity can help us all reach a place of healing.

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You can follow Feels Like Healing on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook @flhpodcast

Produced / Edited by Al Lewis

Theme music by Al Lewis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week my guest is Curtis Stewart, a four-time GRAMMY award nominated violinist from New York City, USA.

Stewart was born into a musical family – his father is avant jazz tuba pioneer Bob Stewart and his mother was Elektra Kurtis, a soulful Greek jazz violinist.

As a soloist, Curtis has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the USA. He has made special appearances with Wyclef Jean; and sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden with Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and Seal.

In this episode we talk about his latest album "of Love" which is a requiem of sorts, dedicated to Curtis' late mother who died of brain cancer in 2021, aged 66.

We discuss how he turned to composition and music during the caretaking and grieving process for his mother.

Songs featured on this episode include

low by Curtis Stewart

Thalassaki Mou by Curtis Stewart

Embrace by Curtis Stewart

Drift to Wake by Curtis Stewart

You can find more information about Curtis by visiting his website: curtisjstewart.com

Feels Like Healing is a show where I talk to individuals about how they've used creativity as a way of helping them heal.

These conversations are here to show how we find comfort and solace through the act of being creative and how creativity can help us all reach a place of healing.

::

You can follow Feels Like Healing on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook @flhpodcast

Produced / Edited by Al Lewis

Theme music by Al Lewis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week my guest is Matilda Heindow, an artist and mental health advocate based in Stockholm. She founded the much-loved Instagram page @crazyheadcomics, using it as a creative outlet for her colourful cartoons that cleverly skewer our collective experiences of mental health. She has shared over 700 unique pieces of art to her global following, which now totals over 500k, and her work is often used by mental health professionals and schools. In 2021, Matilda delivered a TEDx talk on 'The Art of Mental Health Advocacy'.

We talk about her new book "The Art of Feeling Better" in which Matilda shares personal stories and down-to-earth advice to help you understand:

- How to turn that negative inner voice into a friend

- How to recognise the habits that put you on a downward spiral

- What to do with difficult feelings, so that you invite better ones in

You can find more information about Matilda by following her on Instagram @crazyheadcomics

Purchase links for The Art of Feeling Better can be found here.

Feels Like Healing is a show where I talk to individuals about how they've used creativity as a way of helping them heal.

These conversations are here to show how we find comfort and solace through the act of being creative and how creativity can help us all reach a place of healing.

::

You can follow Feels Like Healing on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook @flhpodcast

Produced / Edited by Al Lewis

Theme music by Al Lewis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To kick off the third series of Feels like Healing, here's a taster of some of the conversations you can expect to hear over the coming weeks.

Featuring Matilda Heindow, Suzie Fletcher, Marcus Elliot, Jude Rogers, Curtis J Stewart, Jo Ritchie and Laura McDonagh.

Feels Like Healing is a show where I talk to individuals about how they've turned to creativity as a way of healing.

These conversations are here to inspire and to show how we can find comfort and solace through the act of being creative and how creativity can help us all reach a place of healing.

::

You can follow Feels Like Healing on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook @flhpodcast

Produced / Edited by Al Lewis

Theme music by Al Lewis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To round off the second series, I've compiled this highlights episode where we will hear once again from all of my guests from throughout this series:

Frank Turner, Carmody, Sam Genders, Jamie Lawson, Carys Eleri, Hannah Daniel, Gavin Porter, Jamie Adams and Tara Bethan.

Feels Like Healing is a show where I talk to creative people about how grief and trauma has shaped their art.

These conversations are here to show how those who have suffered loss have found comfort and solace through the act of being creative and how creativity can help us all better understand our grief and reach a place of healing.

::

You can follow Feels Like Healing on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook @flhpodcast

Produced / Edited by Al Lewis

Theme music by Al Lewis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week my guest is Tara Bethan. Born in North Wales, the actress, singer and presenter started out on the West End at the age 13 in Bugsy Malone. In 2008 she found herself in the final 10 of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search for “Nancy” in BBC One’s “I’d do Anything”. Her latest musical incarnation is as 'Tara Bandito' a name she borrowed from her Dad's career as a wrestler nicknamed 'El Bandito'.

We talk about the origins of her song "Six Feet Under" which she wrote in the aftermath of losing her father in 2009.

You can find more information about Tara by following her on Instagram / Twitter @tarabandito

Music featured in this episode:

'6 Feet Under' by Tara Bandito

'Blerr' by Tara Bandito

Feels Like Healing is a show where I talk to creative people about how grief and trauma has shaped their art.

These conversations are here to show how those who have suffered loss have found comfort and solace through the act of being creative and how creativity can help us all better understand our grief and reach a place of healing.

::

You can follow Feels Like Healing on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook @flhpodcast

Produced / Edited by Al Lewis

Theme music by Al Lewis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week my guest is Welsh film-maker Jamie Adams. A British Independent Film Awards [BIFA] nominated director and writer best known for his films Black Mountain Poets (2015), Love Spreads (2021) and Wild Honey Pie! (2018). Black Mountain Poets was nominated for the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film and screened at SXSW in Austin, Texas. His latest film 'She is Love' was a BFI London Film Festival Official Selection for 2022 and is out now on general release.

We talk about the origins of the film "Balance, Not Symmetry", which was a collaborative project about the loss of a parent and was co-written with the singer Simon Neil from Biffy Clyro. We discuss the loss of Jamie's Mum, who died when Jamie was 19 and the affect this had on Jamie's creative output.

You can find more information about Jamie by following him on Twitter and Instagram: @Jamiedadams1 / @jdadams1

Feels Like Healing is a show where I talk to creative people about how grief and trauma has shaped their art.

These conversations are here to show how those who have suffered loss have found comfort and solace through the act of being creative and how creativity can help us all better understand our grief and reach a place of healing.

::

You can follow Feels Like Healing on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook @flhpodcast

Produced / Edited by Al Lewis

Theme music by Al Lewis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week my guests are once again the Welsh actresses + writers Carys Eleri and Hannah Daniel and director/documentary maker Gavin Porter.

This is the second part of our conversation recorded live at St John's Church in Cardiff on the 25th January 2023 in front of a live audience.

Carys Eleri is a Welsh actress, singer, writer, composer and presenter. Her debut show - Lovecraft (Not the Sex Shop in Cardiff) – described as a one-woman science comedy-musical about the neuroscience of love and loneliness won her many accolades and was performed at the Edinburgh Festival and last year adapted into a radio show for BBC Radio 4.

Carys is also an accomplished singer and is a member of Charlotte Church's Late Night Pop Dungeon. Her memoir 'Dod Nôl At fy Nghoed' (To return to my trees) was released in 2021.

Hannah Daniel is a Welsh actress and writer from Cardiff, best known for her roles on TV series such as the dual language hits Hinterland and Keeping Faith and most recently in the Channel 4 drama 'The Light in the Hall'. In 2020 she co-wrote, directed and starred in the BBC short film 'Burial' in which she plays three identical triplets bashing out their grief at their father’s funeral. A story of love, pain and reconciliation. A grieving daughter’s attempt to make sense of the madness of grief.

Gavin Porter is a film/documentary/theatre maker from Butetown in Cardiff. He has previously won a BAFTA Cymru award as director of best short. He has worked for many years in collaboration with the National Theatre of Wales and in 2021 they put on his first major theatrical work Circle of Fifths. A live documentary performance, told through real life stories, rooted in tradition, music and memory.

Together we discuss how my guests have used their creativity to help them through their grief.

Read Hannah Daniel's piece about grief and losing a parent on the VOGUE website here.

Feels Like Healing is a show where I talk to creative people about how grief has shaped their art.

These conversations are here to show how those who have suffered loss have found comfort and solace through the act of being creative and how creativity can help us all better understand our grief and reach a place of healing.

::

You can follow Feels Like Healing on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook @flhpodcast

Produced / Edited by Al Lewis

Theme music by Al Lewis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week my guests are the Welsh actresses + writers Carys Eleri and Hannah Daniel and director/documentary maker Gavin Porter.

This is the first part of our conversation recorded live at St John's Church in Cardiff on the 25th January 2023 in front of a live audience.

Carys Eleri is a Welsh actress, singer, writer, composer and presenter. Her debut show - Lovecraft (Not the Sex Shop in Cardiff) – described as a one-woman science comedy-musical about the neuroscience of love and loneliness won her many accolades and was performed at the Edinburgh Festival and last year adapted into a radio show for BBC Radio 4.

Carys is also an accomplished singer and is a member of Charlotte Church's Late Night Pop Dungeon. Her memoir 'Dod Nôl At fy Nghoed' (To return to my trees) was released in 2021.

Hannah Daniel is a Welsh actress and writer from Cardiff, best known for her roles on TV series such as the dual language hits Hinterland and Keeping Faith and most recently in the Channel 4 drama 'The Light in the Hall'. In 2020 she co-wrote, directed and starred in the BBC short film 'Burial' in which she plays three identical triplets bashing out their grief at their father’s funeral. A story of love, pain and reconciliation. A grieving daughter’s attempt to make sense of the madness of grief.

Gavin Porter is a film/documentary/theatre maker from Butetown in Cardiff. He has previously won a BAFTA Cymru award as director of best short. He has worked for many years in collaboration with the National Theatre of Wales and in 2021 they put on his first major theatrical work Circle of Fifths. A live documentary performance, told through real life stories, rooted in tradition, music and memory.

Together we discuss how my guests have used their creativity to help them through their grief.

Read Hannah Daniel's piece about grief and losing a parent on the VOGUE website here.

Feels Like Healing is a show where I talk to creative people about how grief has shaped their art.

These conversations are here to show how those who have suffered loss have found comfort and solace through the act of being creative and how creativity can help us all better understand our grief and reach a place of healing.

::

You can follow Feels Like Healing on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook @flhpodcast

Produced / Edited by Al Lewis

Theme music by Al Lewis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week my guest is the award-winning singer-songwriter Jamie Lawson. Jamie has so far released five studio albums and his single, "Wasn't Expecting That", became a word-of-mouth success firstly in Ireland before its popularity then began to grow further afield in 2015, when he became the first signing to Ed Sheeran's Gingerbread Man Records. The single went to number 3 in Australia and number 7 in New Zealand. The single hit the number 6 chart position in the UK on 8 October 2015 and was certified silver on 20 November 2015 by the British Phonographic Industry. Later in 2016 Jamie Lawson won the prestigious Ivor Novello award for 'Best Song Musically and Lyrically', beating his mentor and friend Ed Sheeran to the highly prized Ivor Novello award.

His self-titled third album, Jamie Lawson, was released worldwide on 16 October 2015, under Gingerbread Man Records and reached #1 in the UK Album Charts. It was certified gold by the BPI, denoting sales of over 100,000.

We talk about the origins of the songs "Wasn't Expecting That", "Sing to the River" and "The Years in Between" the latter two of which discuss the loss of Jamie's Dad, who died when Jamie was 19.

You can find more information about Jamie by visiting his website jamielawsonmusic.com or following him on Instagram / Twitter @jamielawsonmusic / @jamielawsonuk

Music featured in this episode:

'Sing to the River' by Jamie Lawson (Listen here: https://bit.ly/3YdLGFN)

'The Years in Between' by Jamie Lawson (Listen here: http://bit.ly/3wJhLcQ )

'Wasn't Expecting That' by Jamie Lawson (Listen here: https://bit.ly/3Dtcqdv )

Feels Like Healing is a show where I talk to creative people about how grief and trauma has shaped their art.

These conversations are here to show how those who have suffered loss have found comfort and solace through the act of being creative and how creativity can help us all better understand our grief and reach a place of healing.

::

You can follow Feels Like Healing on Instagram / Twitter / Facebook @flhpodcast

Produced / Edited by Al Lewis

Theme music by Al Lewis

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.