Mad Tunes: Music, Emotions & Mental Health

Rai Waddingham
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In Mad Tunes, Rai Waddingham - a singer/songwriter who hears voices, sees visions and has ongoing conversations with the nature of reality - invites other songwriters to explore the connection between music and mental health. Each episode features up to three songs that act as a launchpad, providing a window into some of the things that go on in and around our head when writing or performing music. This isn't just a mental health podcast - it's about people, stories and the way creativity can be as essential to life as breathing.

Episodes

  1. 07/02/2022

    A Little Raw Around The Edges

    In this week’s episode I’m trying something a little different. Rather than invite a guest to share their tunes, I’m marking my fifth episode by reflecting on my own songwriting journey. I explore how writing a cappella songs to the rhythm of my footsteps helped me process some of the traumas I had survived whilst allowing the deeper meanings to remain hidden in plain sight. I simply didn’t, fully, know what I was writing about. I talk about how this world has, often, been painful to live in … whilst the connections I have found (in activism and in my relationships) are something that grounds me and helps me keep breathing. Throughout it all, I keep coming back to a sense of strength and vulnerability - and how music allows me to show both sides at once. Songs featured in this episode written and performed by Rai Waddingham Breathe Tonight Spiders Feels Like Home Hear more from Rai Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/raiwaddingham Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/raiwaddingham Website: https://www.behindthelabel.co.uk Mad Tunes on twitter: https://twitter.com/madtunespodcast

    41 min
  2. We're All Here to Learn and it's Messy

    24/01/2022

    We're All Here to Learn and it's Messy

    In this week’s episode I’m joined by Gemma Kirk as we listen to songs from her indie-folk band - Lost Chimes. Having first met in Sheffield, we talk about how she got in to songwriting and found her voice. We explore how, sometimes, painful (and, sometimes, abusive) relationships can weave in and around more upbeat songs and how - ultimately - life is messy and all we can do is live it and try to learn as we go. We talk life, death and growing confidence. We share thoughts on how it is to find oneself as a woman in rock music and some of the people who touch our lives and how we are richer for it. Gemma describes her album as a big hug and, having spoken with her, I can see why. Songs featured in this episode: All songs from Lost Chimes, released May 3, 2021. Recorded with long-term collaborator and engineer, the late John Hannon, (Understand, Liberez, No Recording) in Rayleigh, Essex.  Island: Gemma Kirk - music, lyrics Nicky Kirk - music Richard Nicholls - bass guitar Didn’t I Say: Gemma Kirk - music, lyrics Nicky Kirk - music, lyrics Voices: Gemma Kirk - music, lyrics Nicky Kirk - music John Hannon - violin Richard Nicholls - bass guitar Hear more from Lost Chimes: Bandcamp: https://lostchimes.bandcamp.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/LostChimes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostchimes/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lostchimes/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4LBVhlkJs8uoMUqkGzrbSz  Find out more about Rai: Website: https://www.behindthelabel.co.uk  Mad Tunes on twitter: https://twitter.com/madtunespodcast

    48 min
  3. How Much I Hide in Plain Sight

    10/01/2022

    How Much I Hide in Plain Sight

    In this week’s episode I’m joined by Kevin Hewick as we listen to songs from his albums ‘Never Give Up On A Song’ and “Driven by Love, Driven by Hate’. Together, we explore the disconnection of depression and the emotional impact of performing songs that are connected with specific memories. We talk about grief, loss and how these painful and traumatic experiences impacted on his songwriting - moving him to dig deeper. We talk about the joy of writing and performing songs, of entertaining people, and the impact Covid-19 has had on this. Songs featured in this episode: A Frozen Tear in a Frozen Pool: From Never Give Up On A Song on Burning Shed Lyrics and Music by Kevin Hewick © 2021  Recorded, Mixed, Edited and Mastered by Adam Ellis  Kevin Hewick - Guitars and Vocals David Anderson - Drums Memory Coma From Driven By Love, Driven By Hate on Burning Shed Lyrics and Music by Kevin Hewick © 2017  Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by Adam Ellis at Deadline Studios Kevin Hewick - Guitars and Vocals Adam Ellis - Mellotron Jonathan Read - Piano & Trumpet Hear more from Kevin Hewick: Bandcamp: https://kevinhewick.bandcamp.com Burning Shed: https://burningshed.com/store/kevinhewick Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevinhewick  Find out more about Rai: Website: https://www.behindthelabel.co.uk  Mad Tunes on twitter: https://twitter.com/madtunespodcast

    41 min
  4. The Right Song Could Save Somebody’s Life One Night

    27/12/2021

    The Right Song Could Save Somebody’s Life One Night

    In this week’s episode I’m joined by Kenton Hall as we listen to songs from his former band - ist - and his solo project Kenton Hall & The Necessary Measures. We talk about the highs and lows of being a touring musician, filmmaker and human being. We explore songwriting; processing grief; bipolar; hitting rock bottom and finding a way through. Oh, and how the right song can save someone’s life one night - so it’s worth putting the effort in. Art matters. Now living and working without the highs, Kenton challenges the myth of the necessarily tormented creative genius and talks about how he’s finding a sense of balance. Songs featured in this episode: The Boy’s Not Right: https://istianity.bandcamp.com/track/the-boys-not-right Fom Toothpick Bridge, by ist Kenton Hall  John McCourt  Brett Richardson  Flash  Produced and Engineered by Jay Burnett  **** Apologia: https://istianity.bandcamp.com/track/apologia From King Martha, by ist Kenton Hall - Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals  John McCourt - Bass, Vocals  Flash - Drums, Vocals  Brett Richardson - Bassoon, Conductor, String Arrangements, Vocals  Jack Bomb - Guitar, Vocals  Paul Swannell - Piano, Organ  Kevin Hewick - Vocals  Gaz Birtles - Sax  John Barrow - Sax  Drew Stansall - Sax  Jon Read - Trumpet  James Lindsay - Trombone  Anna Jordan - Piano, Organ  The Filthmongers' Choir - Vocals  Na'im Cortazzi - Vocals  Liam Dullaghan - Guitar, Vocals  Sophia Marshall - Vocals  Sarah Louise Collins - Clarinet  Jody Moore - French Horn  Strung Out Sisters - String Trio  Howard Smith - Lap Steel *** Careful How You Go: https://kentonhallthenecessarymeasures.bandcamp.com/track/careful-how-you-go By Kenton Hall & The Necessary Measures Kenton Hall - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Glockenspiel, Percussion, Digital Erhu Scarlet Hall - Backing Vocals  John McCourt - Bass  Brett Richardson - Guitars, Production, Kenton-fixing  Alan Jenkins - Organ, Backing Vocals  Chris Ilett - Late night advice and additional vocal arrangements Song produced by Brett Richardson and Kenton Hall  Hear more from Kenton Hall: Twitter: https://twitter.com/kentonhall Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kentonhallauthor  Blog: https://kentonhall.wordpress.com  Bisection - A more or less accurate account of bipolar parenting and twin wrangling: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bisection-accurate-account-parenting-wrangling/dp/1913256065  A Dozen Summers: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3533254/  Kenton Hall & The Necessary Measures: https://kentonhallthenecessarymeasures.bandcamp.com/ Find out more about Rai: Website: https://www.behindthelabel.co.uk

    59 min
  5. What I Was Trying to Avoid by Writing the Other Songs

    13/12/2021

    What I Was Trying to Avoid by Writing the Other Songs

    In this week's episode I'm joined by Doll Normal as we listen to tunes from her album 'Dreams' and explore the different ways she has processed a difficult time in her life through songwriting. From the quirky and fun 'Take My Picture' to the intensity of 'That Night', we talk about how songwriting can capture a moment or slice in time ... crystallising both the precious and the painful aspects of our memories. We talk about how choices around the style of the song can make it more or less easy to perform and how - with collaborators - it's possible to hear one's songs differently and fall in love with them all over again. In amongst all this we explore the role of perfectionism and how to tame it, making space to appreciate aspects of a song that bring us pure joy. Songs featured in this episode: Take My Picture: https://youtu.be/GSrzuP8MQK4 The Party: https://youtu.be/EjeEcJ8VMmc That Night: https://youtu.be/g0ZNW5ILaos Music and Lyrics by Erica Lee Martin (aka Doll Normal) Mixed + Mastered by Björn Wennerborg for BLR Studios Hear more from Doll Normal: Website: https://www.dollnormal.com Instagram: @doll.normal Tiktok: @doll.normal Facebook: @dollnormal Twitter: @dollnormal Find out more about Rai: Website: https://www.behindthelabel.co.uk

    48 min
  • 5 Episodes

About

In Mad Tunes, Rai Waddingham - a singer/songwriter who hears voices, sees visions and has ongoing conversations with the nature of reality - invites other songwriters to explore the connection between music and mental health. Each episode features up to three songs that act as a launchpad, providing a window into some of the things that go on in and around our head when writing or performing music. This isn't just a mental health podcast - it's about people, stories and the way creativity can be as essential to life as breathing.

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