Geelong rock band 4 Days launch their debut EP this month, bringing their raw, grunge-inspired sound to Medusa Bar on August 29.
But the four tracks that make up the EP were never meant for any audience. Written by the band’s guitarist and singer Jonathan Chandler, they were purely personal.
“All of them are about the breakdown of my marriage and drug addiction,” Chandler said.
“I wrote them to get some peace, to really heal… in my bedroom when I was trying to get sober and dealing with the loss of my wife and kids.
“They’re pretty special to me, so it’s super cathartic, releasing them to the world.”
Obsessed with music from an early age, Chandler learnt drums and guitar and completed VCE Music Performance. He played in a few bands during high school, but drifted away from music after graduating.
“I just started working, then met my ex-wife, had kids and joined the Army. I didn’t really have time for music,” Chandler said.
“So I kind of neglected it for a good chunk of my life… which started a bit of a spiral that led me into some dark places.”
Those dark places included a creeping meth addiction, resulting in the end of his marriage and losing access to his children.
“My parents allowed me to stay at their house for a good 12 months so I could get my s*** together; I was really a shell of a human being,” he said.
“I joined Narcotic Anonymous… there are people there who are a day clean and people that are 20 years clean. But the whole room has this energy that gives you hope that things can get better.
“When I was not sober yet, you just think, I’m never going to get out of this. It’s a bloody scary place to be.”
Now, six years clean, Chandler is back on his feet. His children are back in his life, he has a new partner and is surrounded by “a great bunch of guys” helping bring his original music to life.
“I’m just super grateful I get to express myself through music,” he said.
“I think it’s crucial for my mental health. To put it bluntly, I don’t think I’d be alive without music.”
