Mad Child Shane Bunting says Swollen Members is looking forward to playing small and large venues on their 15-day tour of B.C. and Alberta, which includes a stop at the Overlander Pub Friday night.
“Everybody deserves a good show,” Bunting says. “It’s a good time with lots of energy.
Bunting says he has been doing a lot of reflecting during his recovery from prescription drug addiction and has come to some conclusions.
“Definitely writing songs is a new addiction, but for me it is a positive one,” Bunting says.
After everything he has gone through, Bunting says his advice to kids today is to stay clean.
“It’s not necessary (to do drugs). I’ve come back 360 to enjoy life again. It is such a trap,” Bunting says.
“The coolest people I know never tried that stuff. I know now they are the ones who are successful in life.”
He says it is natural for kids to try alcohol and marijuana but there is an epidemic among youth today using prescription drugs in combination with alcohol.
He says kids may think it is harmless to use prescription pain killers because the drugs are in their parents’ medicine cabinets, but they don’t realize that most prescription pain killers are synthetic heroin.
Bunting says he would never in his life take a needle and shoot heroin but the prescription drugs he was taking were just as addictive and destructive.
“I tried to quit five or six times. It is so terrible.”
These days Bunting says he is happy to be a bit of a recluse just enjoying quiet times with his girlfriend, their dog, family and a few close friends, watching movies, going for walks, exercising, and of course writing songs and spending time in the studio.
He says songs he has written for their new album Dagger Mouth are about his addiction and recovery, which includes avoiding the party scene.
“It’s best to be more of a recluse at this point in my life in a healthy way,” Bunting says.
“Every day you’ve got to do a little reflecting and appreciate the rewards.
“The fact that someone wants to talk to me about my art is a reward.”
The Swollen Members show at the OV Pub this Friday, May 20 is part of their 13 shows in 15 days tour of B.C. and Alberta.
Tickets are available at the pub.
