Episodes
-
Jake Duzsik of LA industrial band HEALTH explores his experiences with mental health, creativity and illness plus "DSMV," the song they named after The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - a volume where all of us in the mental health club are included. We talk about how their desolate music may be connecting right now because of the bleak world we currently inhabit, what itâs like to live with obsessive compulsive disorder, the evils of big tech and its psychological manipulation, working with Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, what happens after addiction and lots more.
-
B Real from Cypress Hill discussed his own mental health experiences and the challenges of expressing vulnerability in aggressive environments like gang life and hip hop. B Real also shared his journey with cannabis, initially using it casually but later becoming an advocate. He highlighted the organic integration of cannabis themes in their music. B Real also touched on magic moments from the making of Black Sunday, his musical evolution, the struggles of being an icon, and his upcoming projects, including new music from Cypress Hill and collaborations with other artists.
-
Missing episodes?
-
Jessica Pimentel (extreme metal band Brujeria, Netflix's Orange is the New Black) shares her long history with Tibetan Buddhism and how to directly apply it to your life to elevate your mental health and combat depression and suffering. She also explores her creative life as a musician, actor and artist in general.
-
This weekâs episode features Kyle from Canadian deathcore band Brand of Sacrifice, Sean from Australian metal band Make Them Suffer and Sam from British band Asking Alexandria, interviewed at Knotfest and Good Things Festival in Sydney, Australia.
The three-part conversation delves into the stigma surrounding male mental health in the music scene, personal experiences with addiction and the impact of sobriety on emotional regulation and creative expression. We also reflect on how therapy can help reconnect you with your inner voice and provide moral clarity.
The discussion also touches on the role of music in addressing mental health issues, the community aspect of the music industry, and the responsibility artists have in using their platform to raise awareness and support.
-
John Joseph first came to prominence as the singer for NYC hardcore band CRO-MAGS. Now an established writer, Ironman, athlete, plant-based living advocate and all-around creative, John joins Tim and Christina to discuss his journey from foster care to finding music, overcoming addiction and achieving creative success and physical feats like a series of Ironman events.
Johnâs book âThe PMA Effectâ explores how a Positive Mental Attitude can arm you to combat the challenges of the âenemy mindâ and empower you to take real action daily towards your goals. He highlighted the significance of humility, service, and action in personal growth. John also discussed his new book "Destroying Monsters" and his commitment to a plant-based lifestyle. Whatâs the message of this show? Resilience, focus on daily behaviours in the right direction, and the dangers of ego in creative and personal endeavours. Get psyched to complete your next project after this podcast.
This is the second episode featuring John Joseph. For an in-depth exploration of his book, âDestroying Monsters,â check out Episode #9.
-
Music has the power to transform our lives. The extremely charismatic Benji Webbe of Skindred chats to Tim and Christina about the importance of positivity, projection, and choice in shaping mental health and wellbeing (especially while writing music during a pandemic). Benji also shares the very personal experience of losing his parents at a young age and the importance of appreciating relationships. As Christina says, every day could be our last ... expressing love and gratitude is essential. In the second half of the episode, Tim and Christina continue to reflect on "happiness as a choice" even in the face of suffering. We spoke about the impact of negative energy and the importance of self-awareness and perspective. We also delve into our own traumatic experiences and how they became transformative opportunities (even when they hurt).
-
Lindsay from Frenzal Rhomb chats to Tim and Christina about addressing mental health issues in the Australian music industry, his journey to sobriety (and what it revealed), new conversations about mental illness and the connection between men's mental health and domestic violence. We also share some techniques and lifestyle changes that we've all used to manage anxiety and keep our heads together. These include breathing techniques from Wim Hof and therapy.
In the second half of the episode, Occupy The Void co-host Tim Charles explores his experiences with mental wellness in the music industry, how menâs group therapy changed him and what he learned about abuse during the process. Note: this episode contains some confronting themes, listen with care and discretion.
-
Matt Tuck of Bullet For My Valentine and hosts Christina Rowatt and Tim Charles discuss the significance of vulnerability in creating meaningful and relatable music. He shares his experiences of opening up about mental health struggles through Bullet for My Valentine's music, emphasising the connection it has had with the fans. We also talk about balancing creativity and mental health in the rock music industry, and being "comfortable with being uncomfortable." The main interview is followed by a "deep dive" between hosts Christina Rowatt and Tim Charles on the themes raised in the conversation with Matt.
-
John Joseph first rose to prominence as the singer for legendary New York hardcore band the Cro-Mags. He's since become a published author, activist, Ironman athlete and outspoken advocate for thinking for yourself and questioning authority. His new book, "Destroying Monsters" shares the harrowing tale of his family's relationship with addiction and how he and other prominent individuals maintain their sobriety. In this wide-ranging discussion we explore the book, addiction, sobriety, the drug-soaked world of 1970s NYC punk rock, and his role in what Rolling Stone called The Greatest Moment in Rock and Roll History (Fear's slam-dancing moshpit on Saturday Night Live). Get his "Destroying Monsters" book here: johnjosephdiscipline.com/books
-
Can we prevent domestic violence? Can porn ever be a good thing? Do abusive people deserve a road to redemption? How dangerous is social media? In this week's episode we chat to Kiwi speaker and activist Richie Hardcore about the answers to these questions. We also explore his work teaching men and boys about masculinity and consent, sex education, sobriety, online identity and straight edge culture. Learn more: richiehardcore.com
-
Stephen Brodsky of Cave In talks about the magic of Kurt Cobain and his long journey of grief and recovery six years after the death of his talented bassist and friend, Caleb Scofield. In the second half of the show, hosts Tim and Christina delve deep into their own experiences of grief, lost loved ones and finding solace in the aftermath.
-
Musician Devin Townsend reflects on mental health, mental illness, emphathy, trauma, the musical creative process, creating a meditation practice and the life-changing impact of psychedelics. Devin has created over 30 albums of music that defies the simplistic "heavy" tag and operates in its own sonic realm of emotional expresssion and experimentation - a truly unique sound.
-
Rou Reynolds of UK band Enter Shikari reflects on why capitalist society couldn't be a worse system for our mental health and how we could break the system to save the planet and our minds. He also reflects on what being open about his struggles did for his connection with his fans. As Rou says, "society's push for self interest, for competition, our thirst for more (of everything) completely disregards our need for community, for connection, our ability to empathise, to help each other, for altruism." After the interview, your co-hosts Tim and Christina do a deep dive on the themes raised during the thought-provoking conversation.
-
Nergal, the singer/guitarist from Polish extreme metal band Behemoth, shares his story of life after recovering from leukemia, the Behemoth musical renaissance that followed his experiences with his own mortality, why he moves on stage the way he does, some sure-fire strategies to lift your mood wherever you are in the world and if dance is something the frontman of one of the world's premier extreme metal bands has ever considered incorporating into his life. This interview was filmed in December 2023 backstage at Good Things Festival in Sydney, Australia.
Listen to OTV co-host Tim Charles' Body Scan Meditation on YouTube here.
-
Iconic Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor talks about how being open with the fans about his struggles with mental illness changed the way he handled the issue with his loved ones, shares what he thinks is missing from the discussion around bipolar disorder, explores the connection between his state of mind and his lyrics, and reflects on surviving some of his darkest days.
