INTERVIEW: Selfish Things On Accountability, Recovery & New Album ‘Receptivity’
Alex Biro has returned to his band Selfish Things to make *Receptivity*, a candid album about addiction, recovery and taking responsibility for past actions. Nearly four years sober, he says making the record helped him bring a painful period of his life to a close and speak to fans who had been waiting for the band’s return.
Biro says the project began six months into his sobriety in 2022, when bandmate Mike Ticar and his friend Tompa encouraged him to write; two songs emerged that weekend, followed by around 60 demos. He describes touring as deeply damaging to musicians, citing a 35% clinical depression rate among touring musicians compared with 7% in the general population. He plans to play what he sees as Selfish Things’ final show alongside the album’s release.
In short
- Alex Biro returns with a stark album about addiction and accountability.
- He began writing six months into sobriety in 2022.
- Biro cites a 35% depression rate among touring musicians.
Explained simply
Selfish Things is a Canadian rock band whose singer, Alex Biro, has spoken about addiction and recovery. The band’s new album, Receptivity, draws on Biro’s experiences and on his efforts to take responsibility for past actions.
Biro says he began writing songs in 2022, with encouragement from bandmate Mike Ticar and his friend Tompa. The album also raises broader questions about the pressures musicians can face while touring and the effect those pressures may have on their mental health.