Posts by Steve Wildsmith
Singer-songwriter Graham Bramblett finds contentment in ‘The Great Inbetween’
At the worst of it, singer-songwriter Graham Bramblett would sit at the bar, staring at the drink in front of him, unable to pick it up because his hands were shaking so bad, hating what he was about to do but knowing it was what his body required. The Texas native, who now lives in…
Read MoreNOLA musical icon Ivan Neville savors life’s every moment, thanks to recovery
Courtesy of Jim Mimma Ivan Neville posted an old picture to Facebook the other day, and he marveled at the young man staring back at him from the other side of addiction recovery. It’s been more than three decades since it was taken, he told The Ties That Bind Us during a recent interview, and…
Read MoreFrom Britpop heights to addiction’s lows, Simon Mason sails on with the Hightown Pirates
It’s criminal, in a sense, just how far below the radar of popular culture that “All of the Above,” the new album by Hightown Pirates, has cruised. If there were any justice in the world of rock ‘n’ roll, Simon Mason and his band of merry recovering misfits would be stomping holes through the wooden…
Read MoreA song for Gigi: The Nell and Jim Band pay tribute to a loved one lost to addiction
The Nell and Jim Band, courtesy of Kalie Capadona. They’ve never sunk their claws into Nell Robinson personally, but the twin specters of addiction and alcoholism have long stalked her family, emerging from the shadows over years and miles to make her loved ones bleed. In December 2018, however, they were not content to simply…
Read MoreIn sobriety, Armon Jay finds beauty in ‘The Dark Side of Happiness’
Alcohol and drugs didn’t destroy Armon Jay’s life. Jay — born Armon Jay Cheek and a member of emo pioneers Dashboard Confessional, as well as a solo artist who will release his new record, “The Dark Side of Happiness,” later this year — didn’t end up homeless. He wasn’t arrested. He didn’t lose his standing…
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