Livestream with Scott of Clean and Sober Stoner 5-28-24

Mike talks with Scott of Clean and Sober Stoner

Follow him!
https://linktr.ee/cleanandsoberstoner

Transcript:

Mike:
Hello and welcome to the Bellwether Ritual live stream, where we discuss music, the local Lehigh Valley PA scene, and beyond—especially band social media and more. Today is Tuesday, May 28th. My name is Mike, and I’m the guitarist and vocalist of Bellwether Ritual. Hope you had a great week! Just a reminder to please like and subscribe if you enjoy what we do here, and be sure to get out there and support your local musicians. It’s the best thing you can do for them!

Tonight, our guest is Scott of Clean and Sober Stoner. Scott is the managing editor of CleanAndSoberStoner.com, the main producer of the Clean and Sober Stoner YouTube channel, a contributor to the Doom charts, and a producer/editor for Bass Gear Magazine. On top of all of that, he holds a master’s in addiction psychology and is a licensed clinical addiction specialist and clinical supervisor. Welcome to the stream, Scott! How you doing, man?

Scott:
Hey Mike, it’s great to be here, thank you! I’m doing great!

Mike:
Awesome, glad to have you! Now, right off the top, I heard you’ve got some exciting news to announce. You wanna drop that bombshell for us?

Scott:
Yeah, definitely! I totally screwed up because I didn’t update the bio, but we’ve got some big news today—we officially bought Monster.com from Pat Scher!

Mike:
No way, that’s huge! So does that go into effect immediately, or how does that work?

Scott:
Yeah, it went into effect right away! We got the keys to the Porsche last Friday, actually. Originally, we were going to wait until June 14th, but it didn’t make sense to wait—Pat was ready to go, and we were ready now, so we figured, why not just go for it?

Mike:
That’s awesome! And so, with this big change, do you plan on running both Clean and Sober Stoner and Monster.com in parallel, or do you have other ideas in mind for how to run things?

Scott:
Well, it’s a little tricky. Clean and Sober Stoner has always been kind of a niche, you know? It’s got its ceiling, because people hear “clean and sober” and it can sometimes trigger judgment or confusion. They think, “Oh, he’s sober but gets stoned?” So, with Monster, we’re trying to bring in something bigger and broader. I think the two sites will complement each other, but Monster.com will definitely allow us to expand and reach a bigger audience.

Mike:
Got it. So it’s like a way to expand your reach, but still keep the essence of Clean and Sober Stoner intact?

Scott:
Exactly! That’s the plan. We want to keep that niche community strong, but also create more opportunities through Monster.com. It’s really exciting to be able to bridge the gap between the two, you know?

Mike:
Yeah, that sounds like a killer move. So let’s talk a bit more about your background. I know you’ve got a lot going on—how did you first get into addiction psychology and how did that path lead you to music and the Clean and Sober Stoner brand?

Scott:
So, it’s kind of a long story, but it all started with my own struggles. I was in the music scene for a long time, playing in bands and living that lifestyle, and I’ve been sober for a number of years now. As I went through recovery, I realized there was a huge gap for people who were in recovery but still wanted to be part of the music community, especially in the heavy genres like stoner rock, doom, and sludge.

I started Clean and Sober Stoner as a way to create a space where people could be themselves without judgment. I saw how much music meant to people in recovery, and I knew I had to bring those worlds together. My education in addiction psychology gave me a unique perspective to approach this, and it’s all been very organic from there.

Mike:
That’s amazing, man. I really respect that approach. It’s incredible how you’ve turned your personal experiences into a way to help others and build a community around music that’s both accepting and supportive.

Scott:
Thank you! It’s something I’m really passionate about. I think there’s a misconception that you have to choose between being in recovery and being part of the music scene, but I’m living proof that those things can go hand in hand. And through Clean and Sober Stoner, I’ve seen that community grow.