As the frontman of Grammy-nominated rock band My Morning Jacket, Jim James has spent decades at the center of new alternative. His long list of achievements includes a solo catalog of five studio albums, recording as part of the supergroup Monsters of Folk, and producing artists such as Ray LaMontagne, S.G. Goodman and Basia Bulat. Yet, beneath these accomplishments was an exhausting cycle of perfectionism and self-loathing fueled by the quiet fear that rest equals irrelevance.

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In this tender and expansive conversation, Jim explores what happened when he stopped trying to outrun his own shadow. He reflects on four years of sobriety, the transformative nature of EMDR and parts work therapy, learning to dance with his creative muse rather than whip the workhorse, and why reclaiming true creative vitality starts by making peace with the human being inside.

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In This Episode:
Jim James
My Morning Jacket
Iris DeMent
Grateful Dead
Kurt Cobain
Nina Simone
Wowed Out
Brian Reitzell
Brendan O’Brien
Carl Broemel
Bo Koster
Billie Eilish
Kane Parsons
The Backrooms
Hollywood Bowl
Bob Weir
Ep 80 – John Moreland
ManKind Project
Mister Rogers

Watch: View this entire conversation above or on YouTube.
Explore: Find similar conversations in these themed playlists.
Connect: Join the conversation on Instagram.

The Other 22 Hours is hosted by Aaron Shafer-Haiss (producer, mixer, musician) and Michaela Anne (songwriter, artist, creative coach). More about Aaron’s workMore about Michaela Anne’s work.


Produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss. Original music written, performed and produced by Aaron Shafer-Haiss.

Photo Credit: Danny Clinch