From Rock & Roll to Sobriety & Soul - Franko HekeFrom Rock & Roll to Sobriety & Soul - Franko Heke
Alcohol Free Life - Janey Lee Grace
Janey Lee Grace talks with musician and facilitator Franko Heke about his shift from teenage partying and rock & roll excess to sober, spiritual and musical practices. Their chat focuses on grey area drinking, meditation, community singing and how sobriety can lead to a deeper, more joyful life.
37:37•24 Apr 2026
From Party Starter to Medicine Musician: Franko Heke on Sobriety and Soul
Episode Overview
- Sober curiosity and grey area drinking can be powerful signals to change, even without a dramatic rock bottom.
- Community, whether through singing, circles or festivals, can make sobriety feel exciting rather than restrictive.
- Practices like Vipassana meditation, yoga, and breath work can act as anchors when exiting a heavy drinking and drug culture.
- Reframing sobriety as gain rather than loss helps shift identity away from being "the party starter" toward something more authentic.
- Using the voice – singing, chanting or simple sound – can be a form of medicine that lifts mood and reduces overthinking.
“There is nothing to give up. You're only gaining. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation between Janey Lee Grace and musician–facilitator Franko Heke follows a life that went from strip-club gigs and heavy drinking to meditation, mantra and medicine music. Aimed at anyone who’s alcohol-free, sober curious, or stuck in that "grey area" of drinking, the chat mixes humour with some pretty raw truths.
Franko talks about starting booze and drugs at 13, being the "party starter" at school, and growing up with an alcoholic father who was both drinking buddy and role model. Years of rock & roll excess followed, alongside depression and a sense that his identity was tied to chaos and being "the brightest light in the room". Things changed when he enrolled in music school, realised hangovers were ruining his chances, and quit alcohol at 20.
After several sober years, a relapse came with band life and old friends, but the turning point was becoming a father. That led him to a 10‑day silent Vipassana retreat, which he used as a kind of DIY rehab. From there, yoga, mantras and community singing took over, eventually leading to festivals, cacao circles, sound healing and his mission to "inspire the world to sing and dance".
Janey weaves in her own experience as a "grey area drinker" who never hit rock bottom but knew something was badly out of alignment. Her mantra, "There is nothing to give up. You're only gaining. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain," runs through the whole episode. You’ll hear about breath work, meditation, mantras, community, psychedelics, and why singing together can feel more euphoric than any night on the booze.
If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s a more soulful way to feel high, this might get you thinking about what you truly want from life after alcohol.
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