Photo: Ziggy Alberts performs on stage. Via @declanhartleybrown_ (Facebook).

Surf-rock staple and Sunshine Coast local Ziggy Alberts has opened up about sobriety on a local podcast. Best known for his song “Laps Around the Sun”, Alberts spoke with Sober Awkward.

Produced on the Sunshine Coast by British hosts Victoria Vanstone and Hamish Adams-Cairns, the Sober Awkward podcast has risen to new heights in the past year, and is nominated for Best Wellness Podcast at the iHeart Radio Australian Podcast Awards next month.

Picture: Sober Awkward broadcasted a live eposode at the Maroochydore MET earlier this year.

During a hiatus between his world tour and its Australia/New Zealand leg, Alberts sat down with Adams-Cairns, opening up about mental health and his relationship with alcohol.

“I drove past a bottle shop the other day and just thought, ‘I can’t even imagine going in there’,” Alberts told the podcast.

“It’s not a part of my life — culturally or in my community anymore.”

The singer-songwriter, who once worked as a glassy at iconic Maroochydore venue Solbar, said he drank between the ages of 16 and 19. He summed up his late teenage years:

“You’ll never forget the first time that you projectile vomited over a balcony.”

“And when your friends carry you over their shoulder like an embattled soldier being carried across the Kokoda Track — you know it’s a battle.

“… you won’t forget those times.”

Knowing alcohol can’t be a part of a musician’s future

Photo (via Facebook): Ziggy Alberts, a “path less-travelled kid” who was home-schooled until he was 13, has now given up alcohol “indefinitely” after recognising its impact on his productivity and mindset.

Alberts quit everything for music at age 19, knowing that substances couldn’t be part of a long-term career.

“People don’t seem to have that kind of success if they do,” the 29-year-old said.

“I’m just not interested. It’s not a thing in my world. I see patterns in how people live their lives. I’ve taken notes and applied them.”

In the podcast, he said touring can be so intense that he understands why some people turn to alcohol to cope with the exhaustion.

“Post-tour blues, man, are like, wow. They’re like a chemical nightmare,” he said. “I’m so depressed for a couple of days on and off.”

While sobriety isn’t always easy, he said it makes life more manageable, and drinking only made things “way worse”.

Post-tour lows and staying healthy on the road

Photo: Alberts has drawn inspiration from artists like Xavier Rudd and John Butler, focusing on health and fitness. Via Facebook.

Loneliness and stress were key reasons he drank, Alberts said. But he now prioritises staying healthy on the road — and admits he “didn’t want a beer belly”.

“That’s not cute at 21,” he said. “I don’t know how people drink and smoke and still have a voice.”

Each time he has given up alcohol, he said both his performance and overall life improved.

He also spoke about “the power of a positive no”, encouraging people to question whether they are “drinking to unwind or unravel”.

A new routine on and off stage includes Wim Hof breathing

Photo: Alberts stays in tip-top shape for his shows, via Facebook.

Before shows, Alberts now runs, practices Wim Hof breathing, completes vocal warm-ups and focuses heavily on hydration.

He also uses ice baths for their dopamine and anti-inflammatory benefits, and drinks mushroom tea to stay relaxed.

Alberts founded his own label and publishing house, Common Folk, in 2018, employing family members and maintaining independence in his career.

He released his fifth studio album, “Dancing in the Dark”, last year and now reaches more than 1.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify. His accolades include an APRA Award for “Letting Go” and multiple ARIA platinum and gold certifications.

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The Sunshine Coast podcast behind the interview

Photo: Victoria Vanstone (right) from Sober Awkward pictured with YELO music editor Penny Brand.

Vanstone, a former mummy blogger turned podcaster, created Sober Awkward, which has amassed nearly two million downloads and was listed among The Guardian’s recommended podcasts.

She recently interviewed UK dance icon Fatboy Slim and continues to host regular community meet-ups on the Sunshine Coast.

“Ziggy is a Sunny Coast legend and I’ve always loved his music,” Vanstone said.

“He shares his story with depth and vulnerability, and his chat with Hamish is an inspiring and heartwarming interview.”

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Picture: Vanstone’s first book is a comedy-memoir, A Thousand Wasted Sundays, and is available on Booktopia for pre-order now, with a follow-up book already on the cards.

Listen to the Sober Awkward podcast with Ziggy Alberts podcast here: https://spotify.link/nZLM6nZuaEb.

Catch Ziggy Alberts as he tours Australia: https://ziggyalberts.com/pages/tour-dates.

This story was written with permission from the Sober Akward podcast.

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