The Ties That Bind Us
Singer-songwriter Luke Brogden finds simplicity in sobriety
Singer-songwriter Luke Brogden recently celebrated six years sober, but he still remembers keenly what it was like trying to make it through life as a struggling alcoholic. Many of his memories are murky or cringe-worthy, and when he tries to recall them, he told The Ties That Bind Us recently, a single metaphor comes to…
Read MoreRedlight King’s Mark ‘Kaz’ Kasprzyk: ‘It’s brighter on the other side’
Redlight King is (from left) Brian Weever, Mark “Kaz” Kasprzyk, Mark Goodwin and Julian Tomarin. (Courtesy of Parts + Labor Records) Mark “Kaz” Kasprzyk, the Canadian who found a home in Southern California and fame with his band, Redlight King, never set out to be a role model for addiction recovery. If anything, he told…
Read MoreSurrender to win: Dramarama’s John Easdale quits keeping score
Dramarama, from left: Mike Davis, John Easdale, Tony Snow, Peter Wood and Mark Englert. (Photo courtesy of Amy Martin) There’s a saying in recovery circles that John Easdale, the founder and singing, songwriting force behind the power-pop ensemble Dramarama, clings to all the harder the older he gets: It’s about the journey, not the destination.…
Read MoreHappy birthday to us! Celebrating two years of sharing experience, strength and hope
The Ties That Bind Us, a weekly interview blog with musicians in recovery from addiction and alcoholism, marks two years of sharing experience, strength and hope this week. Steve Poltz The blog, sponsored by the Knoxville, Tennessee-based drug and alcohol treatment center Cornerstone of Recovery, features weekly interviews with artists from a broad cross section…
Read MorePhilo Reitzel: Asheville hip-hop raconteur living his best life thanks to recovery
Like a lot of artists who come up hard — either through circumstances beyond their control or ones of their own design — Philo Reitzel embraced the game. Coming up in Asheville, North Carolina’s hip-hop scene, he threw himself readily into the drug and alcohol subculture that’s often glamorized in the genre. By his late…
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