Sound Affects Podcast: Music & Mental Health, with Katy Georgiou

Trigger warning: This episode contains references to childhood sexual abuse, racism, self-harm, suicidal ideation, drug use and also contains some details of a traumatic incident involving fire. (See support links below.)

In Part 2 of the Oasis and Mental Health mini series, I interview previous @OasisPodcast guest @Cynthializa, who is a stylist at Selfridges. In her previous interview with James from Oasis Pod (see Oasis Podcast, episode 47), Cynthia credits Oasis for her decision to quit her job as a teacher in Canada to study at the London College of Fashion and pursue her dream of being a stylist. 

However, there's another part to that story which she didn't reveal at the time: a harrowing incident which had left her suicidal and dependent on drugs, until a chance conversation with Liam Gallagher backstage at a festival helped set her psychologically free and on a path to recovery.

Frustratingly (for me at least), discussions on Oasis are typically framed around a white, British male focus, and this episode moves away from that entirely. We explore Cynthia's experiences of childhood sexual abuse and racism growing up in a mixed race family, and she explains how Oasis songs helped to soothe her from this in her teenage years. We then look at a traumatic incident that occurred in her early adult life which initially set her off on a destructive path of self-harm, low self-worth, drug abuse and suicidal feelings. Again, she describes how it was the music of Oasis, and in particular Noel Gallagher's resolve, that helped to soothe her in post traumatic stress and eventually overcome her drug dependency. Finally, she describes a chance conversation she had backstage at Roskilde festival with Liam Gallagher, whose words of wisdom in response to her pain helped shift her mindset about her self worth and cemented her decision to move to the UK and turn her life around completely.

To get in touch:

Email [email protected]

Support Sound Affects Podcast:

Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow Cynthia: @LizaStyle 

Follow Oasis Podcast: @OasisPodcast

For help and support with any of the issues raised:

The Women and Girls Network (for all women and girls affected by all forms of violence and abuse): https://www.wgn.org.uk/

Support links for burns and scars:

For help with addiction and dependency:

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/addiction-and-dependency/addiction-and-dependency-resources/

Samaritans: 116 123 or www.samaritans.org

I've collaborated with James from Oasis Podcast for a mini series over the next few weeks and months exploring the theme of Oasis and mental health. Why Oasis, why mental health? I have openly expressed my love for Oasis since starting this podcast, and it remains a running theme throughout as I get to grips with exactly what it is about the band that has such an effect on me and millions of others. Meanwhile, I'm a professional psychotherapist and interested in a clearer emotional understanding of we're impacted. Rather than exploring it alone, I collaborated with Oasis Podcast, the official audio guide to Oasis so we can document this properly. 

This first episode of the mini series is our interview with Manchester comedian Rachel Fairburn, who explains why Oasis are the reason she's able to do what she does now. 

Follow Rachel Fairburn on Twitter @RachelFairburn and her podcast All Killa No Filla @KillNoFillPod

Follow James @OasisPodcast

Follow Sound Affects Podcast @SoundAffectsPod

Please subscribe, like, tweet us, leave us messages, or contact me at [email protected]

We'll be back with much more

With Father's Day on Sunday and male mental health awareness week this week, here are some clips of Alan McGee, Bez of Happy Mondays and Mark from Skunk Anansie talking to me about their relationships with their fathers and sons.

Welcome back to Sound Affects Podcast.

This episode is split in two parts, exploring the impact of the pandemic on musicians, and the work that Tonic Music for Mental Health are doing to address this.

Part 1 is an interview with patron of the charity, Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols) about his own life, career and previous struggles with drug addiction.

Part 2 is an interview with Tonic Music for Mental Health's co-ordinator, Jeordie Shenton, a PhD researcher exploring substance misuse among working musicians.

For more info, visit tonicmusic.co.uk

Barry's Flying Circus Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/368598820938472

Other support mentioned in this episode:

Samaritans: 116 123

CALM: thecalmzone.net

Mind: mind.org.uk

My Black Dog: myblackdog.co

HSA, support for survivors of Hillsborough: hsa–us.co.uk

Follow Sound Affects Podcast:

Twitter @SoundAffectsPod

Contact [email protected]

Buy me coffee/donate to Sound Affects at ko-fi.com/SoundAffectsPod

James McMahon was Features Editor of NME in the early 2000s, and the Editor of Kerrang 2011-2017. He now freelances, writing about music, gaming and mental health. 

We discuss life at NME and Kerrang, the merits of music journalism as an endeavour, the chaotic lifestyle of journalism, what it means to be a music fan, and James's lifelong struggles with OCD which ultimately led him to leave Kerrang and re-evaluate his life.

Website: https://www.jamesjammcmahon.com/

His OCD Chronicles, where he interviews peoples with OCD: www.itstheocdchronicles.com

Indie Heaven, where he tracks down childhood indie heros: 

For support with OCD:

https://ocdaction.org.uk/

OCD Action helpline: 08453906232

To find a support group: https://www.ocduk.org/support-groups/

OCD Stories (stories and podcasts on OCD): https://theocdstories.com/

To find a therapist trained in working with OCD: https://www.ocduk.org/overcoming-ocd/accessing-ocd-treatment/accessing-ocd-treatment-privately/finding-a-private-therapist/

More info and advice:

Mad Covid: https://madcovid.wordpress.com/72-2/

Order of episode:

Intro, and explanation of OCD, intrusive thoughts and images: 0.00–19.30

Rage Against The Machine, Know Your Enemy: 0.21

Interview with James: 19.30–1.56.59

Morphine, Cure for Pain: 1.29.10

Interview with James ends: 1.56.59

Sub-Pop Sundays, You Amaze Me: 1.56.60

Outro, support and contact info: 1.57.56

Follow Sound Affects Podcast:

Email [email protected]

Subscribe to Sound Affects on iTunes/Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and all preferred platforms

Support Sound Affects Podcast ko-fi.com/soundaffectspod

Jonathan Antoine was a finalist in 2012 Britain's Got Talent, and has since gone on to release 5 studio albums and a Christmas album Christmasland out now. 

https://www.jonathanantoinemusic.com/

Twitter @jonantoine

Christmasland album out now

5th Studio album Going the Distance also out now

Follow Sound Affects Podcast:

@SoundAffectsPod (Twitter and Facebook)

sound_affects_podcast (Instagram)

Email [email protected]

Welcome back to Sound Affects podcast, after a long hiatus during which time we've been in a 6-month lockdown/post-lockdown pandemic.

In this episode, I speak to Steve Lamacq, aka Lammo – BBC radio DJ for BBC 6 Music, former NME journalist and co-host of BBC Radio 1 Evening Session with Jo Whiley, founder of Deceptive Records (Elastica, Placebo, Idelwild), and author of Going Deaf for a Living. He famously interviewed Richey Edwards of Manic Street Preachers in the early 90s, resulting in one of the most iconic and sobering NME images of all time. I wanted to speak to Steve in more depth about this experience and other complex encounters that he documents in his book.

IDLES, who we discuss in this episode, will be performing on Steve’s BBC Radio 6 show today, Monday 5th October. If you miss it, you can catch up for 30 days on BBC Sounds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000n603

As ever, please leave comments below, reviews on iTunes/Apple Pod, or follow Sound Affects on Twitter/Facebook @SoundAffectsPod and Instagram @sound_affects_podcast. Email [email protected]. I love hearing from you!

WARNING: This episode explores self-harm. Please see links below for support and help with self harm/injury:

https://www.selfinjurysupport.org.uk/Pages/FAQs/Category/webchat-support

https://www.thecalmzone.net/help/webchat/

https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/self-harm/

https://www.talklife.co/

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/self-harm/about-self-harm/

https://www.samaritans.org/https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-worried-about-someone-else/if-someone-you-know-self-harming/?fbclid=IwAR0gxOCPHP76IaBk9xrpmUt_I41M2epBUcZuheGhhMAHSkGrt1X1sVUOO44

Link to Going Deaf for a Living by Steve Lamacq:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Deaf-Living-Steve-Lamacq/dp/1787601277

Thank you for all of your support.

In Part 2 of Episode 13 with Marianne Rizkallah, she talks more about music therapy, her role as Director of North London Music Therapy, plus I visit her in her home where I discover she is a member of Crouch End Festival Chorus, through which she toured with Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds in 2015. This leads us to a discussion about her experiences on that tour, and we explore the transcendental nature of music and how this affects us. Finally, we look at Marianne's work as a singing teacher, and her work with music therapy and autism.

Follow Marianne and British Association for Music Therapy on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/musictherapyuk

For music therapy sessions with Marianne, visit https://www.northlondonmusictherapy.com/

For more on Guildhall School of Music and Drama, visit https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/

In Part 1 of episode 13, I speak to music therapist Marianne Rizkallah about her role as vice chair of BAMT,  her work with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, her journey into music therapy and how music therapy works, particularly with refugees and survivors of trafficking, war conflict and other traumatic and sexual abuse. She gives me a sample music therapy session to exemplify how it works, and discusses her various other roles as a choir member and cantor, exploring links between her own therapy and psychoanalysis with confession.

Follow Marianne and British Association for Music Therapy on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/musictherapyuk

For music therapy sessions with Marianne, visit https://www.northlondonmusictherapy.com/

For more on Guildhall School of Music and Drama, visit https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/