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Back 2 Life

Stories of recovery and creativity


Latest episode

  • Introducing Back 2 Life

    03:38||Season 1, Ep. 0
    Hello I’m Milly Chowles and I hear to tell you about a brand new podcast launching on Friday 30th April called Back To Life. On it I’ll be talking to artists, musicians and creators to find out how they’ve come back from some really difficult times and the role of  music, art and creativity in their recovery and their lives now. This feels like the perfect time to be launching this series as the world tentatively comes back to life after a year of collective trauma due to the pandemic. Over the coming epiosdes I’ll be talking to people about mental health, addiction, loss, trauma and the whole human experience in all its glorious messiness but also hope, resilience, transformation and finding meaning and purpose after it all. These are real and raw conversations and with brilliant, brave funny people who’ve lived extraordinary lives and overcome some seriously hard stuff.I’m making this podcast because as a person in recovery myself I want to learn more about how we can not only come back from our difficulties but actually use those experiences to create beautiful things and to help others in really beautiful ways. You can follow us on instagram @Back2LifePod or @Milly_On_Air to keep updated with all the latest episodes and guest details.

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  • 1. Rave, gender and the healer's journey

    50:44||Season 1, Ep. 1
    DJ and producer Eris Drew runs the T4T LUV NRG recording label with, her partner in music and life,Octo Octa. She regularly headlines clubs and festivals from P Bar to Glastonbury, she's had a Residency on BBC Radio 1, frequently tops the 'end of year' DJ Charts and graces the pages of all the big dance music publications Mixmag, DJ Mag, Resident Advisor and many others.In recent years Eris has had a meteoric rise to success and international acclaim, an experience that has coincided with her starting to live in her truth.  In this episode we talk about finding musical success later in life after years of struggle and Eris’s experience of coming out as a trans woman in her late 30s. We also discuss the power of music, community and dance as potentially unifying, healing and transformative cultural experiences. .Eris Resident Advisor Profile https://ra.co/dj/erisdrew/biographyT4T LUV NRG http://www.t4tluvnrg.com/Eris Insta / Twitter  @erisdrew  Bandcamp https://erisdrew.bandcamp.com/    Eris Motherbeat Interview: https://www.glamcult.com/uncategorized/rave-revolution-eris-drew-shares-the-motherbeat/Back 2 Life Insta: @Back2LifeMilly Chowles Insta /Twitter : @ Milly_on_Air_
  • 2. Psychosis, sobriety and comedy

    45:00||Season 1, Ep. 2
    Lizzie Allan is a comedian, transpersonal counsellor, comedy therapist and recent TEDx talker This is a frank and funny conversation covering mental health, psychosis, phsychiatric hospital, addiction, shame, training as a comedian and finding long term sobriety. Lizzie has done a huge amount of work on herself to heal from her own self stigma and shame and now uses her story and skills to help others to not only heal from their traumatic experiences but also turn them into comedy gold. I couldn't think of a better way to mark Mental Health Awareness Week than by hearing Lizzie's incredible story and her inspirational take on the world!You can listen to her TEDx talk called "Transform your Shame into Comedy" here ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8ZDqh5J3BU&ab_channel=TEDxTalks Lizzie's organistaion 'Hilarapy' offering online course and therapy programmes: https://hilarapy.com/Hilarapy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=hilarapyTo keep updated with all the latest epiosdes and guests you can follow @back2lifepod on instagram.Credits:The host and producer is Milly Chowles.Artwork by Georgie ThompsonMusic composed by Double O
  • 3. Male mental health, hip hop and hashtags

    45:04||Season 1, Ep. 3
    Gemma Jennison is a registered mental health nurse and full time lecturer in Birmingham, also studying for a PhD in black males, mental health and hip hop. She’s been promoting hip hop nights since she was 16 and is a proud Mum. After witnessing two of her close friends make suicide attempts within two weeks of each other she founded a charity called The Man Down Project that helps men working in the music industry to have honest and meaningful conversations about their mental well-being and experiences of distress or trauma. Gemma is seriously impressive, sharp, funny and refreshingly straight talking with tons of insight both personal and professional to share. In this episode we talk about how growing up with a mother who had severe mental illness impacted her and inspired her career in mental health. We also talk about personality disorders, mental health services, armchair activism, being a sample geek, toxic masculinity and how to help your friends who are depressed and suicidal. Of course we also talk about Man Down and the challenges of keeping a small charity going through the pandemic.Trigger Warning: We talk about suicide in this episode. Here is the link to Gemma's blog post mentioned: https://www.mandownprogramme.com/post/suicide-support-guidanceMandown Website: https://www.mandownprogramme.com/Mandown Instagram: @mandownprogramme_Other Charities that can help if you need support:Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/CALM https://www.thecalmzone.net/Mind https://www.mind.org.uk/Talk Club https://www.facebook.com/WeTalkClubUK/Andy’s Man Club https://andysmanclub.co.uk/If you enjoy this episode please subscribe, rate and review and come and join the conversation over on instagram @back2lifepod
  • 4. Entrepeneurship, extremes and self-esteem

    46:21||Season 1, Ep. 4
    Lauren Burnett is a recovering addict, the founder of fashion brand Luella Rockerfella and mother. Lauren found recovery after a near death experience that left her with life changing injurys. In early recovery as a new Mum she used the unconventional business skills she learned in her addiction to creat her brand- which caught the eye of a millionaire investor in New York…But this isn’t your usual  rags to riches, addict gets clean, turns their life around and lives happily ever after story, oh no! We talk about the reality of what happens when you try and fix your insides with outside stuff, the futility of achievement addiction, the humbling experience of starting again and so much more. In this podcast DJ and broadcaster Milly Chowles talks with artists, musicians and creators about recovery from mental health challenges, addiction and trauma and the role of creativity in their healing. We cover some pretty heavy stuff but there is also plenty of humour, lightness and hope from inspirational people who’ve overcome so much and gone on to live meaningful lives fired up by a sense of purpose and passion.Trigger warning: Drug use and suicide.You can follow @lulu_rocker and her label @LuellaRockerfella on instagram, please also check out her range of hats that are made my women in prison of which all the profits from them go to a drug and alcohol rehab. You can follow the podcast on instagram @back2lifepod
  • 5. Living The Artist's Way

    49:07||Season 1, Ep. 5
    Back 2 Life is a podcast hosted by DJ and broadcaster Milly Chowles, sharing stories of healing and creativity.  Milly meets artists, musicians and other creators about what it is to come back from difficulties like mental illness, addiction and trauma and the role of creativity in their path to healing. These converstaions are vulnerable, sometimes very sensitive and often difficult conversations but also filled with humour, lightness and plenty of hope from inspirational people who’ve overcome so much and have gone on to live meaningful lives fired up by a sense of purpose and passion.Epiosde 5's guest is DJ,Artist Recovery Club facilitator and founder Ruby Savage. Ruby is an incredible DJ who's first set post lockdown recently was reopening Phonox alongside Jayda G. She's had a pretty exciting career in music from working behind the counter at Honest Jons to being the label manager at Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood record label. During lockdown she founded the Artists Recovery Club, a 12 week course, initially online where people come together and work through the book the Artists Way by Julia Cameron - but with Ruby’s own unique spin on it. The Artist's Way is a book and practical programe that shows you how to heal your creative blocks and free your self from self defeating beliefs that stop us from creating. I’m so so excited to share this podcast with you, I’ve wanted to dive into  this topic forever. In this episode Ruby shares her own personal journey from 'shadow DJ' to actual DJ, and we go deep on the nature of healing and creativity as well as the importance of play, overcoming your inner critic and adult adhd!Find out more about Ruby and The Artist's Recovery Club:Insta: @RubySound @ArtistsRecoveryClubWebsite: https://www.rubysavage.com/
  • Back 2 Life Season 2 Trailer: Electronic Music

    01:30||Season 2, Ep. 0
    Back 2 life is back! Season 2 launches on Wednesday 23rd of November, here's a little taster... this time we're speaking to people from the world of electronic music about recovery, mental health, addiction, healing and creativity.