Come Back To Earth | Music & Mental Health

This season began in grief. My father died on New Year's Day. A few weeks later I sat down with the first guest of Season 3 and asked him what music had taught him about being human. I listened the way you listen when the question is also yours. That's how every conversation this season went. Thirteen guests. Thirteen different answers. And underneath all of them — the same essential truth. Nobody came to music because it was easy. They came because something was hard. And music was the language they reached for when the other languages failed. This is the Season 3 finale. A solo reflection on what thirteen conversations taught me about music, grief, and the man who loved music more than almost anything else. Thank you for being here all season. Season 4 is coming. --- From the Studio This episode is part of Come Back To Earth, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance. Leave a voice message or reflection The Letterbox I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it. Email me at: [email protected] Find the House Have a seat on the porch with us: http://storyhousestudio.org/welcome Support this work: http://storyhousestudio.org/community

Neither Could Dylan blends rock, punk, and folk into something entirely his own. In this Season 3 finale, Jamie shares how a pandemic hobby became a full creative practice, and how self-production and learning new instruments helped him break through the limits he'd put on his own sound. Jamie dives deep into the creative process, revealing how he overcame limitations and explored new musical territories. You’ll discover: - The unexpected inspiration that sparked his solo project during lockdown. - How writing lyrics first allows him to shape his music around the emotions he wants to convey. - Insights into the importance of pushing creative boundaries and not limiting oneself to a single genre. - The joy of creating music that reflects personal growth and experimentation. Learn why embracing challenges can lead to incredible breakthroughs, both musically and personally. It’s not just about creating music; it’s about building a world of sound that resonates with your true self. Go backstage HERE Theme music by: Lincoln Parish --- From the Studio This episode is part of Come Back To Earth, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance. Leave a voice message or reflection The Letterbox I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it. Email me at: [email protected] Find the House Have a seat on the porch with us: http://storyhousestudio.org/welcome Support this work: http://storyhousestudio.org/community (00:00) - Neither Could Dylan (00:06) - Opening Memory (01:09) - Intro (01:29) - Conversation with Neither Could Dylan (34:58) - Closing Reflection (35:57) - Outro

“Breathe” was written during one of the most difficult seasons of Grace Palmer's life, when her mother was in intensive care and the weight of uncertainty felt unbearable. After briefly escaping the heaviness on holiday, she returned home and crashed, sitting on her floor with a guitar and writing a five-minute song that would later become an anchor for others navigating anxiety and depression. Years later, after her mother passed away just days before Christmas, Grace wrote “By His Side,” a song about grief, faith, and the unbearable weight of loss and the hope that love doesn’t disappear. From using her inheritance to finally record her music at 39, to rejecting industry narratives about age and relevance, Grace shares a story of rebuilding choosing to create something meaningful out of what broke her. This is a conversation about collapse, courage, and the quiet decision to build anyway. Go backstage HERE Theme music by: Lincoln Parish From the Studio This episode is part of Come Back To Earth, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance. Leave a voice message or reflection The Letterbox I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it. Email me at: [email protected] Find the House Long-form writing and studio notes: https://story-house.beehiiv.com/ Support this work: http://storyhousestudio.org/community Presence over persuasion. Consistency over frequency. http://storyhousestudio.org (00:00) - Grace Palmer (00:07) - OPENING MEMORY (00:35) - STANDARD INTRO (00:57) - EPISODE ORIENTATION (01:25) - Conversation With Grace Palmer (30:50) - CLOSING REFLECTION (31:34) - OUTRO

In this episode of Come Back to Earth, I reflect on the grounding power of having something small you can control — a dial, a cable, a circuit — when the rest of life feels unpredictable. I then sit down with music technology veteran and journalist Robin Vincent to talk about modular synthesis, hardware culture, and why building electronic music by hand keeps people curious, engaged, and sane. This conversation explores tactile creativity, community, and the difference between scrolling presets and crafting sound from scratch. It also asks a bigger question: In an era of instant generation, what do we lose — and what do we gain — when we stop building things ourselves? This is an episode about process, presence, and the quiet joy of plugging cables into possibility. Go backstage HERE Theme music by: Lincoln Parish From the Studio This episode is part of Come Back To Earth, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance. Leave a voice message or reflection The Letterbox I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it. Email me at: [email protected] Find the House Long-form writing and studio notes: https://story-house.beehiiv.com/ Support this work: http://storyhousestudio.org/community Presence over persuasion. Consistency over frequency. http://storyhousestudio.org (00:00) - Robin Vincent (00:07) - Opening Memory (00:38) - Introduction (00:57) - Episode Orientation (01:25) - Interview with Robin Vincent (32:37) - Closing (33:36) - Outro

Elle Indigo has been finding words for things most people leave unnamed. She started in poetry, the private kind, written for no one in particular. Then the words started needing music underneath them. And somewhere in that transition she discovered something about the difference between writing to process and writing to connect. This conversation goes into that space. The vulnerability of making something personal and then handing it to a room full of strangers. The way metaphor can say the thing you couldn't say directly. What it costs to stand on a stage with a song that came from somewhere real and trust that the audience will meet you there. Elle doesn't have it all figured out. That's what makes this worth listening to. --- From the Studio This episode is part of Come Back To Earth, produced by Story House. We believe story is a tool for meaning-making, not just performance. Leave a voice message or reflection The Letterbox I read every letter. If something in this episode landed for you, or raised something you're still sitting with, I'd love to hear it. Email me at: [email protected] Find the House Long-form writing and studio notes: https://story-house.beehiiv.com/ Support this work: http://storyhousestudio.org/community Presence over persuasion. Consistency over frequency. http://storyhousestudio.org