Label offers safe place for recovering addicts
Eight recovering addicts in Brighton have found healing in music at what could have been one of the worst times of their lives.
The musicians, all in recovery from some form of addiction, turned their talents to creating an album during the first lockdown.
Liberation Through the Looking Glass is now out, the first ever vinyl release from the not-for-profit record label and live music company We are Not Saints and is limited to just 200 copies. It is an album inspired by how it feels to be in recovery during lockdown.
We Are Not Saints, based in Brighton, was established in 2018 by Chris De Banks who himself had struggled with addiction over the years.
Chris said: “With the prevalence of alcohol and drugs in contemporary music culture, it’s often difficult, if not impossible, for artists to have the same opportunities as other musicians without putting their recovery at risk.
“We Are Not Saints was designed to create a platform for musicians to enable them to write, record, distribute and perform their music in a safe, supported way that puts their recovery at the heart of what they do.”
Chris addedd: “In the early days of lockdown and Covid, there was a lot in the press about people in recovery and the problems they were facing with fellowship meetings closing and faceto-face support all but disappearing. In response, we commissioned eight musicians to write about their experiences of isolation and loss of connection, what had become important to them and what they had learned about themselves, and their recovery when normal connections were removed.
The result was Liberation Through the Looking Glass.”
The album represents the equality, diversity, and the ethos of inclusivity that We Are Not Saints is built on. There is a 50/50 split of male and female, but also individuals from the LGBTQ community, the BAME community and artists from different economic backgrounds to create as diverse a collection as possible.
The tracks feature artists Callum Johnstone, Full Spectrum, Deiphos Jay, Annie Murray, Jim Trickster, Helena B, 40 Wildsages and Man Like Malcolm, all artists who have struggled at some point with their addictions. Liberation Through the Looking Glass is a genre-spanning collection of pop, indie, soul and singer/ songwriter originals.
Chris said: “We hope it represents a fair crosssection of the UK recovery community and that the individual songs express identifiable experiences for the listener whether they are in recovery or not. The record represents hope and emotion and it’s something We Are Not Saints are hugely proud of.”
Callum Johnstone, 38, who recorded Love at a Distance, said, “We Are Not Saints have provided support and encouragement, giving me recording experience that I simply would not have got otherwise, but also creating a network and supportive environment. I have been able to collaborate with other fantastic artists thanks to We Are Not Saints.”
Profits from the sale of Liberation Through the Looking Glass will be reinvested back into We Are Not Saints to allow them to expand their scope and reach more people seeking recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction and to provide new opportunities to enhance individual recovery through creativity. www. wearenotsaints.co.uk