“I thought if I stopped drinking, I wouldn’t be able to write songs.”
Meredith Moon
It’s a fear whispered in green rooms, art studios, and late-night kitchens everywhere — especially among creatives. Alcohol has long been sold as the muse, the courage, the spark. For singer-songwriter Meredith Moon, that belief lingered for years. Until sobriety proved it wrong.
On The Sober Curator Podcast, Meredith opens up about what actually happened when she put the bottle down — and why her first fully sober album became her most honest, powerful work yet.
Meredith’s story doesn’t begin in polished studios or industry pipelines. She left school at fourteen. Left home at fifteen. She hitchhiked, rode the rails, and busked across Canada — learning music in real time, on real streets, with real stakes. Alcohol became part of that world too. Not glamorous. Just normalized.
Like many artists, Meredith believed drinking helped her push past fear — especially stage fright. Alcohol felt like the price of entry. The thing that made performance possible.
But sobriety didn’t take her voice away.
It gave it back.
“There was a fear for years,” Meredith shares. “If I stop drinking, I won’t be able to write songs. I won’t be able to play shows.” That fear wasn’t irrational — it was inherited. Music culture is saturated with the myth that suffering fuels art, that inhibition is the enemy of creativity.
The reality was different.
After getting sober, Meredith noticed something unexpected. The songs didn’t stop coming — they changed. Instead of hazy late-night recordings she’d have to reconstruct while hungover, she was fully present inside the creative process. Writing wasn’t something happening to her anymore. It was something she was actively part of.
Sobriety didn’t mute inspiration. It sharpened it.
There was a transition period, of course. For a couple of months, creativity felt quieter. But even then, Meredith wrote songs about missing alcohol — and they were still good. Honest. Real. Proof that creativity doesn’t disappear in discomfort. It adapts.
That presence became her new superpower.
Now, when inspiration hits, Meredith answers it immediately. Whether she’s at home or on the move, she steps away for ten minutes and gets the bones of the song down. She references a Neil Young quote about “answering the call” of creativity — because if you don’t, it doesn’t always come back the same way.
That relationship with creativity requires boundaries too.
Sobriety didn’t erase Meredith’s tendency to obsess — it just redirected it. Like many people in recovery, she noticed that passion can tip into overdrive. Writing nonstop. Pushing too hard. Forgetting balance.
Her solution is refreshingly human.
Sometimes it’s walking the dogs. Sometimes it’s stepping away on purpose. Sometimes it’s not keeping the “snack” within reach — a metaphor she uses brilliantly to explain how moderation works in sobriety. You don’t deny yourself joy. You just don’t let it run the house.
One of the most powerful shifts Meredith describes isn’t about music at all.
It’s about reading.
During heavy drinking, reading felt pointless. She couldn’t remember what she’d read. Her eyes were glazed over. Nights ended in passing out, not resting. Sobriety gave her cognitive clarity back. Now she can read a book a week — something she never imagined possible before.
Movement became another anchor. Not as punishment. Not as performance. Just as a way to channel anxious energy and create baseline calm. Meredith talks about how that constant low-grade anxiety faded over time — replaced by something steadier. A quiet confidence.
And then there was food.
In early sobriety, Meredith made a deal with herself: eat whatever you want — just don’t drink. Ice cream. Chips. Dopamine, without shame. Later, balance returned naturally. Nourishment followed self-trust.
What stands out most in Meredith’s story isn’t discipline or grit.
It’s gentleness.
Sobriety didn’t demand perfection. It offered permission — to feel fear without numbing it, to create without blurring it, to live without dulling the edges of experience.
Her latest album, From Here to the Sea, is the first one created entirely in sobriety. It’s not louder than her past work. It’s clearer. More grounded. More her.
Meredith Moon’s story dismantles the myth that alcohol is the gateway to creativity. What it actually does is keep artists one step removed from themselves.
Sobriety doesn’t take the art away.
It hands it back — fully formed, fully felt, and finally remembered.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation on The Sober Curator Podcast and discover why sobriety might be the most underrated creative tool of all. Follow along with Meredith Moon on her website meredithmoon.com and @MeredithMoonMusic on IG
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Getting sober is one thing—but staying sober? That’s where the real adventure begins.
This show is for you if you’ve ever wondered:
– Where can I find inspiring sober podcasts, apps, and creators?
– How do I give back or stay plugged into the sober community
– What are the best sober-friendly drinks and travel tips?
– Where do I find the good NA drinks that don’t taste like regret?
The Sober Curator is your go-to for sober pop culture, booze-free travel, apps, creators, and community.
We’re not here to help you get sober.
We’re here to help you live sober—and love it.
What happens when a musician trades liquid courage for clarity? In this episode of The Sober Curator Podcast, Alysse Bryson sits down with singer-songwriter Meredith Moon to talk about creativity without booze, overcoming stage fright, and why sobriety didn’t kill her art—it sharpened it. From hitchhiking across Canada to releasing her first fully sober album, Meredith shares an honest, grounded look at what it means to be fully present in your creative life.
Takeaways
Sobriety can enhance creativity—not erase it
Stage fright doesn’t disappear with alcohol, it just gets postponed
Inspiration requires answering the call when it shows up
Balance in sobriety means knowing when to step away
Reading, movement, and snacks are underrated recovery tools
Key Timestamps
[00:01:01] — Welcome to The Sober Curator Podcast + host intro
[00:01:22] — Meet Meredith Moon + her unconventional musical journey
[00:02:28] — Fear of losing creativity after quitting drinking
[00:03:47] — Sobriety as a creative “superpower”
[00:05:32] — Obsession, balance, and boundaries in sober creativity
[00:11:10] — Movement, anxiety relief, and baseline calm
[00:11:30] — Letting food be medicine in early sobriety
[00:12:00] — Reading again: sobriety and cognitive clarity
Notable Resources & Mentions
Meredith Moon — From Here to the Sea (Album)
Compass Records
Warner Music Canada
If this episode inspired you, share it with a sober friend who still thinks creativity requires cocktails.
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About:
Sobriety isn’t the end of the party—it’s just the start of a better one. Hosted by Alysse Bryson, media powerhouse and sobriety’s ultimate hype woman, and joined by Sober Curator contributors, The Sober Curator Podcast delivers bold convos, pop culture deep dives, and zero-proof living that doesn’t suck. Whether you're sober, sober-curious, or just looking for good vibes without the hangover, we’ve got you covered. Subscribe now—because getting sober matters, staying sober matters more.
PLAY IT AGAIN is The Sober Curator’s curated playlist of sobriety anthems—songs that capture the essence of recovery journeys and lift the spirit. From timeless classics to modern hits, these tracks inspire, heal, and motivate, no matter what genre of choice. Each song is handpicked for its power to transport you to another state of mind and remind you why living alcohol-free rocks.
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