Girls Frontman Christopher Owens Talks About His Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Unlike many rock stars these days, Girls front man Christopher Owen isn’t talking about how his past struggle with drug and alcohol addiction affected his life or killed his career – he’s talking about a current issue with drugs and alcohol and how it informs his music. He says that many of the songs on the band’s second studio album, ‘Father, Son, Holy Ghost,’ are inspired by or are about his ongoing dependence with a few different drugs.
Owen recognizes that his drug abuse issues cause him problems. While he says that most of the lyrics on his new album were written by him when he was under the influence, he also says that he can’t go on tour and function while abusing drugs.
In an interview, Owen said: “The line about keeping my feet on the ground is about drugs. ‘Just A Song’ is the most personal one on the record. It’s the closest to what I feel right now. I struggle with an addiction to serious, very heavy opiates, which is the reason I’m sick right now, because I’m cleaning up for the tour.
“I have to get clean, otherwise I have a bad attitude, or I’m looking for it all the time or I get sick on the road. I’ve done this for every tour. Getting rid of this shit is literally the worst hell you can imagine. I don’t know why I always go back to it, but I do.
“It fuels the music in a very serious way. It allows you to focus on one thing. I can pinpoint an idea or an emotion while very heavily medicated, which is how I write most of my songs. This is a reoccurring theme. All of my heroes have this same exact problem.”
The chronic issue of relapse and recovery is one that Owen will have to go through again – and very soon since a tour is scheduled for November. It’s also a problem that many who consider themselves to be “functional” while abusing drugs and alcohol have to deal with as well. In order to maintain at work or school or keep their secret from family members, many who are living with addiction have to force themselves through withdrawal symptoms regularly – and ultimately fall back into addictive behaviors as soon as they are in the clear again.
The ongoing cycle of addiction and detox followed by further drug abuse can be deadly. Don’t wait to get the help you need if you recognize your own habits in Owen’s story. Contact us today to find out how Michael’s House can help you to get back on track.
