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

When Jess Greenfield got a call to say she was joining Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, she was obviously delighted. She was also pregnant in a long-term relationship (now husband) with Gav Condor. Faced with the choice of motherhood or a successful career, Jess was confronted with a painful dilemma that many women find themselves in in their 30s. In a male-heavy music industry climate, this dilemma is magnified where the support structures for women to have children and maintain careers as touring musicians are not adequately in place. Jess and Gav explore what choice they eventually made, and the impact of it on their marriage and individual self-esteem. They also speak candidly about their relationship as the musical duo The Kondoors – the ups and downs they’ve faced and how their romantic, marital journey gets mapped onto that.

Disclaimer: I do not own any music used in this podcast. It is used for discussion purposes under fair use law.

Support and advice provided below.

Music – The Kondoors, 'Forgiveness'

The Kondoors

https://www.thekondoors.com/about

https://twitter.com/thekondoors?lang=en

Jess Greenfield on Twitter and Instagram

https://twitter.com/greenfieldsings?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/greenfieldsings/?hl=en

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds:  https://www.noelgallagher.com/

For support and advice, see below:

Help Musicians UK: https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/

The Music Industry Therapists and Coaches (Formerly the Music Industry Therapist Collective): http://musicindustrytherapists.com/

Tavistock Relationship counselling: https://www.tavistockrelationships.org/

Abortion support and advice for men and women:

https://www.bpas.org/abortion-care/supporting-someone-having-an-abortion/

https://www.bpas.org/abortion-care/supporting-someone-having-an-abortion/partners/

Drummer Mark Richardson joined Skunk Anansie in 1995, re-uniting with the band in 2009 after a long stint in Feeder 2001-2009. He talks about his addiction struggles that led him to co-found the charity Music Support for anyone in industry experiencing emotional difficulties. We also discuss his experiences in Little Angels, Feeder and joining Skunk Anansie; race and gender; the generational trauma that led to his drug addiction; male identity, suicide and colleagues who took their own lives.

Disclaimer: I do not own any music used in this podcast. It is used for discussion purposes under fair use law.

Music Support: https://www.musicsupport.org/what-we-do

Skunk Anansie: https://skunkanansie.com/

Follow Sound Affects on Twitter and Facebook:

@soundaffectspod

Follow Sound Affects on Instagram:

sound_affects_podcast

Subscribe to Sound Affects on Apple Podcasts and Spotify:

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sound-affects-music-mental-health/id1331897982

https://open.spotify.com/show/2mOGoi0QeHiwwRoJuetOkC

As ever, please leave a review on Apple Podcast, comment here, join me over on social media, or email [email protected]

What is the definition of 'sane'? Bez would like to know.

I interviewed Bez in Manchester this month amidst Happy Mondays' UK reunion tour.

You can still get your tickets here:

https://www.seetickets.com/tour/happy-mondays

Please be aware, this is not an interview with an academic or professional so please don't expect that. It's an interview with Bez who has his own point of views about mental health. These are his views and you may or may not agree with them. I'm really fascinated by the way he thinks and this is an opportunity to understand how his mind works. 

In this episode, we talk about: fatherhood, his childhood, what it was like for him being homeless and in prison, his relationship to drugs, the time he nearly died of MRSA, his thoughts about what it means to be sane, as well as how he feels about what people think of him. It's an alternative point of view and I was really curious to understand where he gets his views from.

Please excuse the sound quality, I was recording in a cafe, the sound isn't perfect as there's a lot of background noise. I hope you enjoy this episode.

Brace yourselves...

James of Oasis Pod talks to me through his life story through music

I speak to Kat and Rob from Fife band Pilgrims – after spending years feeling disillusioned with their music careers, the Scottish duo joined forces and found meaning in their work again by campaigning for their love of animals through song. In this candid interview, they share their histories with depression, loss and grief, and the power in music to heal and tell important stories.

WARNING: This episode explores topics of grief and suicidal feelings – please use links below for support

Follow Kat, Rob and Pilgrims on Facebook and Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Pilgrims_UK

https://www.facebook.com/pilgrimsUK/

Find their albums on:

Wilderness: https://pilgrimsuk.bandcamp.com/album/wilderness

Tundra: https://pilgrimsuk.bandcamp.com/album/tundra

Helplines, Counselling and Support

For grief, bereavement and loss:

For depression or suicidal feelings:

Papyrus: https://papyrus-uk.org/

Maytree: https://www.maytree.org.uk/

CALM: https://www.thecalmzone.net/ 

Other useful helplines and avenues of support:

Time to Change: https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/

Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/

Specific support for musicians:

Help Musicians: https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/

Bapam: https://www.bapam.org.uk/

Music Support https://www.musicsupport.org/what-we-do

To find a therapist visit:

BACP: https://www.bacp.co.uk/search/Therapists

UKCP: https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/find-a-therapist/

NHS Counselling: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/free-therapy-or-counselling/

In the early 2000s – post-Britpop – an influx of indie bands emerged, beginning with New York based The Strokes. This paved the way for the Hives, The Vines, The Soundtrack of our Lives, and then a host of British bands – the most popular of all of them, The Libertines, as fronted by Pete Doherty and Carl Barat.

Around 2003/4, following Pete and Carl's falling out in relation to drug abuse, Pete formed side project Babyshambles, which took off in its own right. After a turbulent start with drummer Gemma leaving the band, Adam Ficek – previously a musician in the band The White Sport – was brought on board as Babyshambles' drummer.

My overriding memory of these early 2000s years was the extent to which drug use and litigious activity by rock stars were getting equal prominence in the press (if not more) as the music itself. While Britpop spread a message of invincibility, togetherness and youth, there seemed to be darker, sinister undertones connected to the drug culture around the 2000s bands which, for me, started to become synonymous with that time and which led to a noticeable isolation, separation and exclusivity within the indie music scene, spilling out into the behaviour and attitudes of the public fan base. I observed this shift acutely while at university when I was working a part-time job in a ticket box office of an indie club in my late teens. I really wondered about this phenomenon and welcomed the opportunity to speak to Adam Ficek of Babyshambles who was in his musical ascendancy around this time. 

Helplines and support listed below (hover over text for hyperlinks).

Follow Sound Affects Podcast:

Contact Sound Affects Podcast:

Subscribe to Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sound-affects-music-mental-health/id1331897982

Download on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2mOGoi0QeHiwwRoJuetOkC?si=2sXZzkl8R1yu86EG4yM5Yw

Episode breakdown:

Intro

Support, helplines and guidance mentioned in this episode:

Accessing therapy: IAPT, Mind, or visit GP

Private therapy directories: Counselling Directory, BACP, UCKP, Welldoing

Additional support:

Music industry exec Alan McGee has witnessed the moving tide of the music industry over the last 30 years. Given that he's worked with some of the most notorious rock stars in history – including Bobby Gillespie, Liam Gallagher, Pete Doherty and Shaun Ryder – I was curious to know what cumulative mental health impact this has all had on him over time. His stories of drugs and excess are often passed with humour and anecdotal charm, but dig deeper, and I'm in touch with a haunting tale beneath – a world of self-harm, heroine, overdoses and childhood abuse.

Support, helplines and therapy

One North East London – specialist counselling, advice and workshops for friends and family of those affected by addiction, as well as for those suffering addiction of any kind themselves.

Music Minds Matter – Helpline for musicians looking for support

Samaritans – Anonymous, free, emotional support helpline for anybody feeling suicidal or struggling to cope

CALM – Support and advice for men struggling with their mental health or suicidal feelings

Adfam – A list of helpful organisations dealing with issues around family, drugs and alcohol

Frank – For local drug treatment services

To access free counselling via the NHS, follow these links

Click here or here to find private therapy from insured, registered bonafide therapists

For urgent help, visit https://www.mind.org.uk/

In this episode, drummer Paul Costello of Primitive Machine explains what it's like to be a blind musician and we discuss the added dynamic of being in a relationship with a fellow band member (in Paul's case, with the band's lead singer/songwriter Tracy).

Songs in order:

Follow Sound Affects:

In this episode, I speak to psychotherapist John Bassett from MITC (Music Industry Therapist Collective). All therapists in MITC began with fruitful careers within the music industry before retraining in therapy. They worked for record labels, in artist and tour management, A&R, or, as in the case of John, as sales and marketing reps for labels and music companies. They have first-hand, lived experience of the environment, and are now using that knowledge to educate, offer support and guidance, and cross-refer anyone in need of help.

John and I explore the endemic culture within the industry perpetuating conditions for poor mental health, what music industry life was like in the 90s when he was involved, how songs of the time still trigger John physically, the impact of the industry on men compared to women and much more.

Important websites and contact details:

MITC: http://musicindustrytherapists.com/what-we-do/

@MITCollective

CALM: https://www.thecalmzone.net/

Music Support: https://www.musicsupport.org/about-us

Follow Sound Affects:

In this epsiode, I visit an acute adult in-patient psychiatric hospital in London to talk to a music therapist Phil Clarke about how music therapy works for people experiencing psychosis. We also discuss Phil's background as a drummer to former rock band The Lipstick Melodies/Tourniquet which disbanded under tragic circumstances following the death of the lead singer, leaving a profound impact on Phil and his bandmates. We talk through Phil Clarke's own personal journey from musician to therapist.