Musical Recovery Website –
JUNE 07, 2020 – “When you’re in recovery, you tend to recognize your own ‘kind,’ so to speak, in the language that they use,” Wildsmith says. “There were numerous times when I would pick up on little phrases or clichés that I know by heart, because I’ve seen them on the walls and in the readings of 12 Step meetings since I got clean and sober in 2002.”
With that in mind, once he went to work full-time at Cornerstone, Wildsmith conceived of a blog that spotlighted musicians who have found a way out of their own addiction, but more importantly helped to dispel the myth that drugs and alcohol are prerequisites for stardom or the creative process.
“It’s not an anti-drug or anti-alcohol blog, because a lot of people use and drink responsibly, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Wildsmith says. “But for some of us, it becomes a problem that costs us relationships and opportunities. And for some artists — Amy Winehouse, Scott Weiland and Mac Miller, just to use some examples from the last few years — it costs them their lives. The goal of The Ties That Bind Us is to show those who might struggle with a drug or alcohol problem that there’s a way out, and a way to get better.”
For the artists who have agreed to tell their stories, it’s a unique opportunity to share something extremely personal with a writer who has an intimate understanding of addiction and alcoholism.
“I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with Steve,” says singer-songwriter Kyle LaLone, whose story was published April 27. “I instantly felt comfortable and that special kind of connection folks in recovery have. It was a wonderful, cathartic experience to talk about my journey with music and sobriety. I feel very honored to have my story included among the immensely talented artists who have also been interviewed for The Ties That Bind Us.”
