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Back 2 Life
Addiction, ageing and re-defining success with Princess Superstar
Season 3, Ep. 1
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Welcome back to season 3 and we're kicking off with a bang as we welcome international icon, trailblazer and recovery warrior Princess Superstar to the pod!
If you're here for the first time, this is a podcast for people in the electronic music community who are interested in healing, sobriety, mental health recovery and the power of creativity and art. Now you may not know that Princess Superstar aka Concetta Kirschner has been completely sober and in recovery from addiction for over 2 decades…she’s an iconic, convention defying powerhouse of an artist who’s recently enjoyed a phoenix like rise to the top of the charts after a decade out in the artistic wilderness ( but as she reveals in the podcast actually enjoying much more success as human being).
Since 1996 she’s released 8 albums and 24 singles and has had massive hits in the Uk in 2002 with Bad Babysitter. She’s also worked with The prodigy, Grandmaster Flash, Armand Van Helden, Moby and many many more. Late last year her 2006 single Perfect ( exceeder) produced by Mason was featured in the film Saltburn and has since re-entered the global charts, had over a 100 million streams, became the crossover club hit of the year and won a gold disc. It's success has seen Concetta, aged 53 go from working a day job to touring the world… for a record she released 17 years ago. If you follow her on instagram you will know what an absolute legend she is, she’s hilarious, wise, eye wateringly candid, and serves some of the most fiecely iconic looks ever, and she is someone who absolutely makes recovery, and working on your shit look very very cool. In this podcast we cover topics such as:
-Early recovery, how she got sober at the height of her fame first time around.
-Addiction to external validation and feeling truly valuable inside
-The pain of not being seen or recognised as an artist and how she overcame that.
-Relationships and loneliness
-Authenticity and performing in sobriety
-Redefining success- why fame, money and busyness are not her defionition of true success
-Ageing, fillers, toxic beauty standards- why she is celebrating ageing rather than trying to hide it.
-The fear of losing your creativity in early recovery, how she found even more power on the other side of that fear.
and so much more!
Back 2 Life is an independent DIY podcast hosted and produced by Milly on Air, a DJ, broadcaster and person in long term recovery.
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@Milly_on_Air
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Introducing Back 2 Life
03:38||Season 1, Ep. 0Hello 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.
1. Rave, gender and the healer's journey
50:44||Season 1, Ep. 1DJ 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. 2Lizzie 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. 3Gemma 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. 4Lauren 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. 5Back 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. 0Back 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.
1. Louisahhh=Sex, Sobriety and Freedom
43:27||Season 2, Ep. 1Back 2 Life is back for Season 2! In this season DJ and broadcaster Milly speaks with prominent voices in the world of underground electronic music who are recovering from addiction, mental illness and trauma as she sets out to understand how they came back from their difficulties and the role that music, art and creativity has played in their recovery and their lives now.The first guest is the incredible Lousiahh, someone who is very open and eloquent about her experience of addiction and recovery, and who is also a highly respected, distinct and prolific artist, vocalist, producer and DJ who's music sits at the intersection of punk and techno. She’s also an amazing insightful and fearless host of the podcast Sober Sex which discusses the often taboo topic of sexuality in sobriety and "focuses on conversations about what self-integrity, spirituality and personal evolution look like for different people as we learn to be and accept ourselves sexually and intimately." Louisahhh is in long term recovery and got clean when she was just 20 years old via a family led intervention. After a substanstial time in rehab, she graduated and continued to pursue her music career ( against all the advice of those around her). Louisahh is living proof that not only is recovery possible when you're young, but that life can be amazing without drugs, you can go wherver you want, and do whatever you want if you put recovery first, something she continues to do after many years. Lousiahh's story and general being is so inspiring, she ooozes gratitude and wisdom in this episode we speak about her experience (and practice) of freedom, discovering BDSM in recovery, just how much work she puts into staying well, her early experiences with drugs and rehab, her creative recovery, her thoughts on mental health in the wider industry and more!Find out more about Louisahh here:Louisahhs latest album The Practice of Freedom https://louisahhh.bandcamp.com/album/the-practice-of-freedom-deluxeSober Sex https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sober-sex/id1514856529 /Sober Sex IG: @fuckyeahsobersexLouisahhh's IG https://www.instagram.com/louisahhh/?hl=enLouisahhhh's bandcamp: https://louisahhh.bandcamp.com/Follow us online @back2lifepodBack 2 Life is hosted by Milly on Air@Milly_on_air_Support the podcast https://ko-fi.com/back2life
2. Cera Khin: Techno Mental Health, Hypnotherapy and Healing
42:15||Season 2, Ep. 2Back 2 Life is a podcast hosted by Milly on Air about healing and creativity. Every two weeks we talk to people about how they’ve come back to life after the darkness and this season we're on a mission to open up the conversation about mental health and addiction within the world of electronic music. My second guest for this season is the incredible Cera Khin. Cera is an amazing intuitive, fearless and highly sought after DJ who regularly plays to tens of thousands of people around the world. Raised in Tunisia via Berlin crrently living in Barcelona, she is the founder of the Lazy Tapes label and her sound is multi genre rave; from industrial hardcore techno, mind bending acid, fast hard trance and even gabber. Her sets release a transcendental energy, focussed on bringing people together to dance and release. Cera khin is also a self empowerment & mental health warrior and a trained Hypnotherapist. In lock down she founded the instagram account "Technomentalhealth" in which she has been breaking stigmas and spreading awareness about mental health in the electronic music industry in a very engaging and accessible way. She is a thoughouly lovely person with great energy and we instantly got on and had so much to discuss. I this episode we talk about morning routines, the challenges of touring, overcoming trauma and depression, pschedelic therapy, social media, diversity, creating safe spaces and much more!Back 2 Life is created and hosted by @milly_on_air_Support The podacst via Kofi https://ko-fi.com/back2lifeCera's links:IG: @cerakhin / @technomentalhealthLazy Tapes https://lazytapes.bandcamp.com/RA Bio https://ra.co/dj/cerakhin/biographyGeorge Powell is the editor and sound engineerMusic by Double OArtwork design by Vivandiere