The Creative Sober

Alexx Calise's personal statement is, "I don't feel sorry for being who I am." Delivering a sound that is both fresh and uniquely her own, Calise combines crunchy rock riffs with probing lyrics and hooky pop melodies.

Told throughout most of her career to not play guitar as much or at all, and to pursue a more “proven” musical direction, Calise instead chose to focus even more so on her instrument, practicing some 5-6 hours a day, and follow the only direction she knew how to—her own.

Countless film and TV placements and millions of Youtube hits later, Calise has proven that her torchy vocals, impressive guitar chops, and heart-and-soul lyrics are enough to make an incredible international impact, even as a completely independent artist.

Calise's hit song "Cry"--which became a web phenomenon almost overnight (spawning hundreds of covers, tributes, and dance routines) after it appeared on the Lifetime show “Dance Moms”—-has gone on to sell hundreds of thousands of downloads independently, and charted at #64 on the iTunes rock chart. Its official video features Sia's muse, Maddie Ziegler, who danced to the song in several episodes of the show. Calise also performed "Cry" on an episode of Dance Moms along with Nia Sioux and Kendall Vertes, and she performed on an episode of "Abby's Ultimate Dance Competition" with Maddie Ziegler.

Ever-growing and ever-changing, the effervescent Calise is continuing to make waves one small step at a time, currently penning songs for her band with Dennis Morehouse, Batfarm, and her other music project with Rob Johnson, Sensitive Robot. She is also a freelance writer for a variety of publications including Music Connection and Guitar Girl, a host for Guitar World magazine, an accomplished model and actress, and a small business owner.

Alexx has been walking the path of sobriety for the last 36 months, learning to navigate through the rock and roll environment, thriving in creativity, and staying true to who she is.

Calise’s music has appeared on a multitude of different shows such as “Dance Moms” (Lifetime), "Dance Moms: Miami" (Lifetime), "Last Call With Carson Daly" (NBC), "The Voice" (NBC), Audrina” (Vh1), "Tough Love" (Vh1), “NY Ink” (TLC), “Next” (MTV), "10 on Top" (MTV), “One Tree Hill” (CW), "Texas Women" (CMT) and in the feature film, “LA, I Hate You” starring Malcolm McDowell and William Forsythe.

Find Alexx Calise:

https://www.alexxcalise.net/

Instagram @alexxcalise

Follow the Creative Sober Community on Instagram @thecreativesober

the Creative Sober Podcast hosted by Missing Mei

Producer and DJ are just a couple of Tommie Sunshine's passions that lead his life. Also, count on him being involved in activism, teaching at NYU, being a husband, and sober for the last 16 years! Tommie takes us through some of his journeys as a world-traveling DJ, what convinced him to get sober, and what he is doing to contribute to making a difference for the greater good.

Tommie Sunshine Official Bio: Tastemaker to tastemakers, curator, and shapeshifter, Tommie Sunshine is renowned for his reputation of being consistently ahead of the curve bridging the worlds of Rave, Disco, House, and EDM while still standing firmly in the zeitgeist. Establishing his name throughout the American Rave scene during the '90s, he became one of the most recognizable figures of the Electroclash movement during the early 2000s and helped set the stage for the EDM boom of the 2010s. 29 years as a DJ and 35 years as a clubber gives Sunshine his unique perspective on the business & informs his present Rave Revival sound.

Set apart by his iconoclastic productions, he is regarded as one of today's most prolific remixers providing club-ready makeovers for countless household names, including Billie Eilish, Bob Marley, Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, Sofi Tukker, Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Presley, Lizzo, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kelly Clarkson, Major Lazer, Santana, and Fall Out Boy. Tommie's original production career spans collaborations with artists such as Oscar-nominated and Grammy winner Junkie XL, Chocolate Puma, Grammy winner James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, legend Arthur Baker, House Music pioneer Felix da Housecat, Peaches, The Disco Fries, and many more. His music has been released on all of the biggest dance labels in the world including Spinnin', Ultra, Armada, Musical Freedom, Heldeep, Size, Mixmash, Dim Mak, and Mad Decent amongst others.

Tommie wrote and recorded 9 tracks for several editions of Konami's classic arcade game Dance Dance Revolution (DDR). Approaching its 600th release, his label Brooklyn Fire provides a platform to young producers just getting started in the business giving their music mass exposure, DJ support from the biggest in the game & streams into the millions. Sunshine, also known as a social media provocateur, has been known to cause an uproar in his firm stance on many issues most won't dare talk about & his activism has landed him on TMZ for gun control. Tommie served as an entertainment surrogate for the 2016 & 2020 Presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders.

Connect | Follow ▷ Tommie Sunshine

www.thecreativesoberpodcast.com | Produced by Missing Mei and Joel Swift

*Trigger Warning: With consent to release, the following is a recorded interview with Martin Lapid before his passing in Dec 2021. Topics include substance use disorder, self-harm, and alcoholism. Las Vegas resident Martin Lapid was a graphic designer, business owner, and co-founder of the recovery brand Serenitees Collection. He shares about his design career during the past 20+ years, how he found life in recovery and the power of the Serenity Prayer. "God, grant me, The serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And, the wisdom to know the difference." - THE SERENITY PRAYER *Support Resources: SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 1-800-662-HELP (4357) Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Narcotics Anonymous World Services National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Are you in a crisis? Call 1-800-273-8255 or text "TALK" to 741741 Al-Anon/Alateen ______________________ www.thecreativesoberpodcast.com | Produced by Missing Mei and Joel Swift

Season 1 & 2 of The Creative Sober Podcast included incredible stories from musicians who continue to create in sobriety. This episode is a collection of their original music and personal intros to the songs you would have heard in their episode. Enjoy!

Tracklist:

1. Calvin - "Changes"

2. Pop Buchanan - Intro, "Monk Healing Freestyle"

3. Soberthedj - Intro, "Vibes In The Room"

4. Grace Askew - Intro, "No Rock Bottoms"

5. Ranger Sauce - "Gambler's Road"

6. Alexx Calise - Intro, "Rise"

7. Leah Martin-Brown - Intro, "Burning In Silence"

8. Blackout Orchestra - Intro, "Nothing But Blue Skies"

9. Ben Boden - "Ghost"

10. Juniper Waller - Intro, "Got it"

11. Pop Buchanan - Intro, Premier of "Dear Addicts"

Support + Follow The Creative Sober - Hosted by Missing Mei

Episode Produced by: Joel Swift and Missing Mei

As seen on CBS, FOX, and NBC. POP Buchanan is the creative director, and founder of the Sober is Dope podcast company. POP Buchanan is a holistic mindset coach, lyricist, meditation expert, prayer consultant, and nutrition coach. POP's #1 goal is to help people heal from trauma, toxic lifestyles, and harmful addictions. POP Buchanan is a 41-year-old Creative from Brooklyn, NY. POP Buchanan lost his father when he was 13 years old from a heart attack. POP grew up interested in music, martial arts, esoteric spirituality, poetry, God, and love. POP writes poetry and considers himself an idea machine. POP struggled with alcohol addiction from the age of 27-32. This addiction cost POP a high-profile real estate career, valuable relationships, and his health. Having a very good family and upbringing, POP sought out professional help. POP learned how to deal with his addiction and began his rehabilitation in December of 2012. Since then, POP has transformed his life. He has devoted his life to telling his story. POP gained back the respect of his family and friends. Using his education and upbringing, POP secures a very great job, and he even got back into real estate investments. Most importantly, he started spreading his message through his music and podcast. You can find POP Buchanan on Spotify, iTunes, and other outlets. POP started Monk Fruit Energy LLC to bring low glycemic beverages and foods to the market. After surviving alcoholism, POP transformed his health. In 2015 POP was diagnosed with Pre-diabetes. POP vowed to transform his health and help others by using his knowledge of health and nutrition. POP devotes his life to helping people quit alcohol, drugs, and smoking. He also promotes a sugar-free America and teaches people how to reverse pre-diabetes. It is POP’s goal to be the poster child of sobriety and model of health for the next generation. You can learn more about POP’s journey and sober story/testimony by listening to the “Sober is Dope! Podcast at www.popbuchanan.net “It’s never too late to be amazing!” - POP Buchanan Sober is Dope! Podcast https://anchor.fm/soberisdope Sober is Dope! Gift Shop https://soberisdope.net FREE Transformational E-BOOK https://bit.ly/2Dh67xi Follow The Creative Sober on Instagram Hosted by Missing Mei