Blair's Blues And Other News

Frankie is a videographer and composer who’s worked across the arts in theatre, comedy, and commercial work. He talks about sharing a love of Britpop with his parents, and how one of his song choices is inspired by a previous MTSB guest! Frankie discusses his paid work and his creative work, and how his creative routine supports his mental health. And we return to the conversation about the ‘problematic fave’ - can you separate the art from the artist? Frankie makes an excellent point about the many other artists who were involved in creating Michael Jackson’s work, for example.Blair’s bit of trivia for this show is a surprise entry in Midge Ure’s rock CV.Listen along to Frankie’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:Blur - End of a Century (04:49)Jessie Ware - Wildest Moments (13:35)The Proclaimers - Sunshine on Leith (19:18)Midge Ure - If I Was (26:45)Robyn - Dancing On My Own (33:30)Bob Dylan - Idiot Wind (39:33) Girls - Hellhole Ratrace (43:00)Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (46:46)Public Enemy

Christie is a dancer, choreographer, actor and host of the Inside Out Theory podcast! She talks with Blair about the importance of finding friendship with other artists who will celebrate your wins, and how important it is to her to maintain varied work across several careers as a performer, a creative, and an educator. She discusses the link between the physical pressures of working in the creative industries, especially as a dancer, and the mental health pressures - and the importance of understanding and accepting what one can and cannot control, as an antidote.Also, Blair reveals some excellent Kevin Bacon trivia, and producer Elizabeth chimes in to debunk the old rumour about Lauryn Hill’s ‘racist statements’ about white people.Listen along to Christie’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:Glenn Miller - In The Mood (08:27)Driicky Graham - Snap Backs and Tattoos (09:58)Roy Orbison - You Got It (20:42)Kenny Loggins - Footloose (24:14)Chicago Ensemble - All That Jazz (32:39)Eminem - Lose Your

Jonny is an MBE-holding mental health advocate, author, and filmmaker. He talks about living with schizoaffective disorder, and his social media campaign to find the man who saved his life, six years after they met on a bridge. They subsequently started a mental health charity together, We Are Beyond. He also talks about the consistency of music in the maelstrom of mental health, and the ups and downs of 2020, and the ways in which this year has both helped and hindered our mental health. Blair and Jonny discuss different medications and their effects, and the alternative to FOMO: JOMO!Listen along to Jonny’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:Amy Winehouse - Rehab (05:38)Taylor Dayne - Tell It To My Heart (10:28)Janet Jackson - Together Again (11:45)Gabrielle - Rise (21:00)Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (35:22)Madonna - You’ll See (36:46)Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over (41:20)Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to be Free (46:46)ABBA - Dancing Queen (55:30)S

Georgie is a comedian, award-nominated actress, voiceover artist and writer currently working on the film ‘Blind Ambition’ with Silversal Films supported by BFI! She discusses her top survival picks, her comedy persona vs her real self, her experiences living with visual impairment, and the topsy-turvy politics of the Edinburgh Fringe. She talks celebrity culture and the oversharing of oneself as a ‘product’, and which elements of her life she is and isn’t willing to talk about in her comedy material. She also discusses the influence that her older brothers and her best friend Drew have had on her music taste, and explains to us what the game “Cock or Ball?” entails.Listen along to Georgie’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:Van Morrisson - Brown Eyed Girl (02:12)Metallica - Nothing Else Matters (08:49)Matchbox Twenty - Bright Lights (12:36)Nathaniel Rateliff - And It’s Still Alright (20:45)Fastball - The Way (30:29)Lulu and the Lampshades - Cups (44:30)Vintage Trouble - Outside In (48:00)A St

Tom is a musician, writer and watchmaker who recently left his investment banking job to live the artist’s dream! Tom talks extensively about men’s mental health, losing friends to suicide, grief, and whether or not you can separate the art from the artist when problematic behaviour is revealed - something all of us have likely had to grapple with, in recent times.Bonus content: our producer Elizabeth turns up with a fun fact (59:40): the backstory of how Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) came to be made, via a Pulitzer-prize winning writer, a case of mistaken identity, and the birth of the internet...!Listen along to Tom’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:The Beatles - Nowhere Man (02:42)David Gray - The One I Love (07:30)The Smiths - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (13:02)Jimmy Eat World - Always Be (21:25)Radiohead - Let Down (29:02)Beastie Boys - Sabotage (34:08)John Lennon - Beautiful Boy (45:22)The Rolling Stones - 19th Nervous Breakdown (52:30)Baz Luhrmann - Everybody’s Free (T

This week, Blair talks with his close friend Adam, who is currently working for the World Health Organisation (WHO). He talks authenticity, the imposter syndrome that plagues us all, no matter how ‘successful’ you get, how COVID might help to alleviate a mid-life crisis...and his interpretation of what exactly Blur’s ‘Universal’ really is.Listen along to Adam’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony (02:05)Neil Young - Heart of Gold (05:08)Procul Harum - Whiter Shade of Pale (13:19)Pink Floyd - Time (22:06)Pulp - Common People (29:16)Radiohead - No Surprises (32:14)Arcade Fire - Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels) (36:59)Jarvis Cocker - Running the World (41:27)Boston - More Than A Feeling (46:02)Blur - The Universal (47:16)You can find Adam on Instagram @adambinsnappingResources/Links:If you are affected by any of the issues in this episode, please go to the NHS website, and the website of the charity Mind. For emergency support over the phone, you can call The Samaritans f

Cleave is a film student and rock lover, who talks about his experiences as a young man with depression, a recent spiritual awakening thanks to Russell Brand’s podcast, mental health treatment in the UK (or lack of it), and the benefits of spirituality. He has channeled his experiences into short films and videos to raise awareness of mental health issues.Listen along to Cleave’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark (02:38)Iggy Pop - I’m Bored (06:42)The Doors - The End (10:14)Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes - Thunder (14:12)Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song (17:43)Metallica - Fade to Black (19:45)The Smiths - Asleep (22:14)John Lennon - Imagine (29:20)The Wurzels - I Am a Cider Drinker (31:11)David Bowie - Heroes (36:39)Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven (39:33)You can find Cleave on Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram @meat_cleavester.Resources/Links:Watch Cleave’s latest film about quarantine on YouTube.If you are affected by any of the issues in this episode, please g

Helen is a theatre director, actor and acting teacher, who was born in England but has lived and worked in France and South Africa. She discusses her experiences of studying under legendary acting teacher Jacques Lecoq shortly before he died, growing up with mixed heritage, how the Black Eyed Peas helped her process the end of a relationship, and how she recently developed a love for Selena Gomez.Listen along to Helen’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:Simon and Garfunkel - Cecilia (01:31)Joan Armatrading - Willow (06:24)Goran Bregovic - Ederlezi (12:37)Selena Gomez - Bad Liar (20:04)Nina Simone - Wild is the Wind (24:20)Black Eyed Peas - Shut Up (31:35)Lalela Cape Town Choir - Senzeni Na (35:03)Billie Eilish - Bury a Friend - (38:35)Ismael Lo - La Femme Sans Haine (40:59)You can find Helen on Instagram @frescotrainingResources/Links:Visit Helen’s website.If you are affected by any of the issues in this episode, please go to the NHS website, and the website of the charity Mind. For emergency

Actor Millie Watson (Holby City) talks about her journey to mental fitness, and her love of many genres of music from folk to drum n’ bass. Through a discussion of growing up as a child in Egypt and eventually moving to England, being hospitalised for an eating disorder, and breaking out of the mainstream typecast for female actors, Blair gets to know Millie’s journey through art and music.Listen along to Millie’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:The Cranberries - Ode to My Family (1:16)The National - About Today (4:45)Bush - Glycerine (11:49)The Martinis - Free (17:38)Chase and Status - Alive (20:00)Leonard Cohen - Anthem (24:06)Alanis Morrissette - Front Row (29:59)Kate Tempest - People’s Faces (36:48)Salad Keita - Yamore (40:55)Keri Hilsom - Knock You Down (45:42)Nico - These Days (48:01)You can find Millie on Instagram @cbellamie.Resources/Links:Visit Millie’s yoga site.If you are affected by any of the issues in this episode, please go to the NHS website, and the website of charity Mind.

Ben is a filmmaker and men’s mental health advocate who runs the charity Talk Club. He talks about the transformative conversations that resulted from touring his documentary film ‘Steve’, inspired by the suicide of his best friend, moving from the world of advertising to more ethically-focused creative work, and how he takes control of his own mental fitness (with a little help from his kids, pancakes, and Pharell.)Listen along to Ben’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:Otis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay (01:48)Arctic Monkeys - From Ritz to Rubble (06:06)Talk Talk - It’s My Life (09:54)The Jam - That’s Entertainment (22:19)Pharrell Williams - Happy (26:23)Smokey Robinson - Tears of a Clown (29:37)The Rifles - You Win Some (43:36)The Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand (48:34)Oasis - Wonderwall (50:54)Gavin Thorpe and Talk Club - Soul to Save (54:25)Ben’s Twitter links: @benakers, @TalkClubUK, @Madewith_ and @ourkidsourlivesResources/Links:Ben’s TEDx Talk ‘How Do You Stop Men Taking

Juliette is a comedian, writer, broadcaster and mental health advocate who has toured the world with her shows, and has had consecutive sold-out Fringe runs for several years. She has had a complex mental health history over time, with 13 different diagnoses in total. Juliette speaks candidly about C-PTSD, eating disorders, and a period of hospitalisation in her teens. She also discusses how she now interprets psychotic hallucinations had in the past, and how she currently manages her day to day mental fitness. These experiences have informed her shows, work that creates accessible, transformative and positive learning experiences for her audiences.Listen along to Juliette’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star (14:29)CHVRCHES - The Mother We Share (32:05)Daniela Andrade - La Vie en Rose (38:20)Lizzo - Juice (46:30)Kylie - All The Lovers (55:49)Gonzo the Great - I'm Going To Go Back There Someday (57:44)Candi Staton and The Source - You Got The Love

Gordon is the chair of the charity Bipolar Scotland, a published author of psychological thrillers, and a mental health consultant and researcher who works to identify better ways for systems to serve people. Gordon has a bipolar diagnosis himself, and speaks to us about the romanticised link between mental health and creativity, theories on how bipolar disorder can be triggered by genetic and environmental factors, and how Bipolar Scotland helps families to live with bipolar. He shares stories of mania and depression, giving an insight into what it really means to experience those extremes. A frequent traveller to the US, Gordon discusses the love of Americana music that he and Blair share, the magic of Springsteen’s lyrics, and how songs about mental health and addiction have moved him.Listen along to Gordon’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:The Jam - In The City (02:57)Marah - Christian Street (05:52)Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (09:50)Bruce Springsteen - The Promised Land (14:

Ellen is a comedian and writer, former bassist of Los Campesinos! and, newly, a junior developer! She talks mental health as a touring artist, drawing on her experiences with her band in the USA, to producing shows at the Edinburgh Fringe (which means every day - for a month!) She also discusses why bad relationships can be so gripping, how she navigated her family as a child and that sometimes, you SHOULD meet your heroes - if your hero is Neil Gaiman.Listen along to Ellen’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know (04:49)Le Tigre - Deceptacon (13:04)Alessia Cara - How Far I’ll Go (21:55)Rilo Kiley - Portions For Foxes (34:10)The Decemberists - Engine Driver (37:41)Amanda Palmer - Bigger on the Inside (45:14)Max Richter - The Departure (53:15)Fall Out Boy - Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part to Save the Scene and Stop Going to Shows) (56:06)Nine Inch Nails - We’re in This Together (1:00:23)Clark - Growls Garden (1:03:34)You can find Ellen on Twitter a

Presenter of Music to Survive By Blair Chadwick, and our producer Elizabeth Mizon, interview each other to introduce you to the podcast! Through an examination of their own love of music, and their journeys through mental health and fitness, Blair and Elizabeth outline how the podcast came about and what they are hoping to deliver for their audience. Blair discusses some of the misconceptions people have around the experience of being bipolar, and Elizabeth talks about Dr. Elaine Aron’s research around High Sensitivity and its links to anxiety and depression in young people. They also touch on the concept of the ‘problematic fave’, long-distance relationships during COVID, and the grief of losing a parent.Listen along to Elizabeth’s and Blair’s songs at this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:Barwick Green (BBC’s The Archers theme) (14:42)She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals (16:22)Fire Brigade - The Move (18:28)On and On - The Longpigs (20:42)The Leak - Nikitch (28:09)Giant Steps - Coltrane (32:08)Doo

Gavin is a singer/songwriter who was signed to Atlantic Records at the age of 22. More recently he is a male mental health advocate and co-founder of Talk Club. Gavin discusses the statistics that make Talk Club so important, and what he learned via his own therapy. He also lets us in on what it was like working with world-famous producers and engineers such as John Leckie and David Kahne, and how he got the inside info on the recording of Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah from Clif Norell. Gavin talks about his relationship with his Dad - a single father, with whom Gavin had an incredibly close relationship - including how it felt to be able to take him to witness his own recording session in Abbey Road’s Studio 2!Listen along to Gavin’s songs with this Spotify playlist. Discussions begin:Don McLean - Vincent (07:36)Eric Clapton - Layla (16:09)Gavin Thorpe - Good Old Days (23:59)Marvin Gaye - I Heard it Through The Grapevine (34:44)Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (36:27)Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should Have Come O