Georgia-Based Band Nocturnal Blonde Discusses Upcoming Album That Shines Light on Addiction Struggle

ATHENS, Ga., Aug. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is included with permission from The Ties That Bind Us, a new interview series with musicians in recovery, by Steve Wildsmith:

Addiction serves as a catalyst for the beautiful musical darkness of Nocturnal Blonde

A story of An Artistic Brotherhood, An Opioid Overdose, and A Brotherly Bond Strengthened By The Music They Create to Heal Themselves - and Others

Ritchie Williams was 17 years old when he first noticed his brother Dave's descent into the depths of addiction.

Since their childhood in Jacksonville, Fla., the two had been thick as thieves; best friends then and now, but Dave's drug use began to steal Ritchie's older sibling, with the slow assuredness of guaranteed destruction.

Looking back, Ritchie — who now leads the Athens, Ga.-based band Nocturnal Blonde, which draws on music the two brothers created to tell Dave's story and light a beacon of hope for those who might similarly struggle — sees that his brother's path was, in some ways, no surprise.

"He's incredibly intelligent in a lot of ways, and in the '80s, they had a gifted program where they would really just lay it all out for you," Ritchie told The Ties That Bind Us recently. "They would give you an IQ test and tell your parents what your personality was going to be, and they told our parents that he was only going to see things in black-and-white. This is pretty much a direct quote from my memory — they said he could either end up working for NASA, or end up in a ditch."

Dave didn't end up in a ditch, but he came close. An opioid-related overdose in 2016 brought on respiratory failure, which led to acute ischemia, a stroke that damaged his brain. He's alive, but he's forever changed, and when a part of him died, a part of Ritchie did as well. Nocturnal Blonde, his band with Rachel Adams, was his own way back into the light. The band released an EP, Smart Heart, in 2018 which includes songs from the forthcoming full-length album, Still Gushing due August 2019.

"My dad used to play guitar with Chet Atkins when he was a young kid, so we had no choice but to pursue music. My brother and I were immersed in it," recalls Ritchie. ~

Together with Adams, the Williams brothers release "Still Gushing" August 2019 with the hope of healing others as well.

For the full story, contact Bill Benson at Team Clermont, [email protected] or Nelson Wells at teamclermont.com

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SOURCE Nocturnal Blonde