Simon Rowbottom: The Psychology of a Musician | Episode 148

Simon Rowbottom is a musician and psychotherapist, and a member of the English alternative rock band The Boo Radleys, best known for their hit Wake Up Boo!. We talk about his early life with music, the rise of the band, and what it feels like when success looks great from the outside but feels very different on the inside. Simon describes the difference between process and outcome, how pressure can drain the creative spark, and what it was like to walk away when the band split.

We explore how he found his way into therapy, how years of touring and chronic stress shape the brain and nervous system, and the psychological challenges that musicians often face. And we talk about The Boo Radleys reuniting more than two decades later with a different mindset. No expectations. No pressure. Just the simple joy of making music again and expressing what is happening inside through sound.

Connect and Learn More

The Boo Radleys: thebooradleys.com
Music Industry Therapist Collective: musicindustrytherapists.com
Simon’s novel: Thimblerigger

RESOURCES

Albums: C'mon Kids, Kingsize, The Wall

Bands: Bon Jovi, Eggman, Happy Mondays, My Bloody Valentine, Oasis, Paperlung, Pink Floyd, Primal Scream, Ride, Simon & Garfunkel, The Boo Radleys, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, The Wedding Present

People: Alan McGee, Daniel Day-Lewis, Dick Green, Elvis Costello, Martin Carr, Timothy Brown,

Songs: Wake Up Boo!, When I'm Sixty-Four

TV shows: Boys from the Blackstuff, Top of the Pops