CHAPTERS
- 11:00 – 16:30
Origins: Church, Chaos, And A House Full Of Music
Labrinth describes his intensely religious upbringing, the beauty and toxicity of church culture, and the uniquely musical environment of his huge family. He explains how being surrounded by siblings playing jazz, gospel, R&B, and hip‑hop simultaneously forged his eclectic ear and desire to do ‘all of them’ at once.
- 16:30 – 36:30
Mother’s Defiance, Father’s Absence, And The Birth Of A People‑Pleaser
He explores the impact of his mother’s rejection by church family, colorism, and her self‑taught education on psychology and willpower. In contrast, his abused, absent father left a void he only fully recognized after his death, shaping Labrinth’s later search for validation and tendency to accommodate others.
- 36:30 – 45:00
Finding Himself By Being ‘Weird’ In A Boxed‑In World
Labrinth contrasts his curiosity for foreign genres with cultural expectations about what a Black kid from a gospel/grime background should be. He recalls his flamboyantly odd teenage fashion, family ‘Jackson Nine’ performances, and how creativity, not money, became his social currency.
- 45:00 – 55:30
Crafting A Prodigy: Bands, Instruments, And An ADHD Brain
He recounts forming a school band, obsessively chasing studio time, and learning multiple instruments from his brothers. An eventual ADHD diagnosis helps him make sense of his hyper‑musical mind, scattered focus, and challenges with follow‑through in both life and business.
- 55:30 – 1:01:30
Art As Soul: Creativity, Fear, And The Lie Of The ‘Good Boy’
Labrinth distinguishes between creativity aimed at pleasing others and art that articulates the soul. He admits he spent years chasing ANR approval and external ‘good boy’ validation, and describes the terrifying but liberating process of learning to say what he truly feels, regardless of audience reaction.
- 1:01:30 – 1:22:00
Syco, Stardom Scripts, And Losing Himself In The Game
He unpacks why he signed to Simon Cowell’s Syco—on his manager’s advice—and how quickly he was pulled into pop‑star theatre: staged relationships, paparazzi set‑ups, and a ‘mogul’ restaurant he never cared about. Success validated a persona he didn’t recognise, deepening his sense of fraudulence and dislocation.
- 1:22:00 – 1:29:00
Meltdown: Anger, Panic, And The Night He Almost Killed Someone
A confluence of managerial breakdown, dependency, and self‑loathing culminates in an on‑stage explosion where Labrinth hurls his guitar and nearly hits a camerawoman. The incident exposes how people‑pleasing and suppressed rage had warped him, forcing him to confront the roots of his volatility.
- 1:29:00 – 1:39:00
Therapy, His Wife’s Protection, And Rebuilding Boundaries
Labrinth details how his wife recognised the toxicity around him—team members exploiting his rider and gifts, pushing him despite burnout—and became the only one setting boundaries. Initially cast as the villain, she persevered, eventually steering him toward therapy and life coaching that anchored his recovery.
- 1:39:00 – 1:54:00
Euphoria, LA, And The Freedom Of Being A ‘Nobody’ Again
Moving to LA allowed Labrinth to escape UK genre politics and fame expectations, becoming a small fish again. Working on Euphoria and with artists like Sia and Diplo reconnected him with the raw sound on his hard drive, and he reframes reinvention not as creating a new self but realising his true one.
- 1:54:00
Redefining Success: Burning It Down And Cleaning The Window
In the latter part of the conversation, Labrinth lays out his current philosophy: success is not hits but how clear a channel he is for creativity. He’s willing to walk away from money, touring, and metrics, focusing instead on presence, fatherhood, a future ‘cosmic opera,’ and the ongoing work of noticing when he’s lying to himself.
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