Jeff “H” Harrington has been playing bass and writing songs for close to 40 years. He grew up in Milwaukee, a city he describes as one of the heaviest drinking cultures in the country, and spent his 20s and 30s using alcohol to manage a shyness he calls “criminally vulgar.” Nine years ago he left a career in medical physics to chase music full time. Five years ago, he stopped drinking almost entirely.
What makes Jeff’s story worth sitting with is what he found on the other side. He didn’t just give up alcohol. He learned he’s deeply introverted, sensitive to noise and to the energy of a crowded room, and far less interested in big social gatherings than he ever realized while drinking. He also traded songwriting as an emotional release valve for something different: chant music built on ancient mantras, made to help people feel calm and present rather than to process pain.
In this conversation, Jeff talks about growing up in a drinking culture so strong it shaped an entire state’s identity, why his own drinking nearly disappeared the moment he lived somewhere else, and how a stomach problem sealed a decision his body had already started making on its own. He also shares a theory about sad music that’s worth thinking about, whether you drink or not.
[1:36] Meet Jeff Harrington: Musician, Nine Years Removed From a Left-Brain Career
Jeff is a singer, songwriter, producer, and bass player who’s been gigging for close to 40 years, much of it in the blues scene.
Nine years ago he left his career as a medical physicist to focus on music, even though it’s never been his main income.
He’s five years sober and has pulled back from playing out live, a shift he traces directly to sobriety.
Key Insight: “We’re supposed to do what we’re really terrified of, aren’t we?”
[3:03] Growing Up in Wisconsin’s Drinking Culture
Jeff grew up in Milwaukee, which he says ranks nationally for excessive drinking, DUIs per capita, and bars per capita.
College at Madison took that culture to another level. He describes drinking at least 12 beers a night as normal for everyone around him.
He used alcohol to manage deep shyness and social anxiety, comparing it to an athlete numbing an injury just to get through the game.
Key Insight: “I think I was literally, my growth was stunted for at least five or 10 years looking back.”
[7:07] The Cleveland Contrast
When Jeff moved to Cleveland for his first job, he expected a similar drinking culture to Wisconsin. Instead, he found people drank far less, and so did he.
Looking back, this showed him how much of his drinking had been shaped by the environment around him, not by who he actually was.
When he moved back to Wisconsin, he eventually fell back into the same heavy drinking patterns.
Key Insight: “I didn’t drink that much when I was in Cleveland. So looking back, I see that that’s who I really was.”
[13:48] Discovering He’s an Introvert
After quitting drinking, Jeff realized he’s extremely introverted and sensitive to noise and to the energy of the people around him.
He’s meditated for about 15 years, which he thinks has made him more attuned to these subtler energies.
His social life shifted from crowds to small, comfortable gatherings that don’t leave him exhausted the next day.
Key Insight: “I’m not somebody who’s going to want to go to a party at this point or any place that’s loud and crowded.”
[15:54] A Stomach Issue Sealed What Had Already Begun
About 10 years ago, Jeff and his then-girlfriend already cut back on drinking a lot as they got more into health.
About five years ago, a stomach issue made alcohol physically intolerable, arriving right as he was already drinking less.
Today he has maybe three or four drinks a year, and calls it fully intentional rather than something he misses.
Key Insight: “If my stomach magically healed, I wouldn’t be drinking at all. I don’t like it in my life anymore.”
[17:09] From Songwriting as Therapy to Chant Music as Calm
In his 20s and 30s, Jeff used songwriting as one of his only tools for processing intense emotion, since he felt culture raised men to stay disconnected from their feelings.
Today he writes mostly chant music on his Substack, Inside Sky Chant, built around ancient mantras rather than English lyrics.
The purpose of his music has shifted from emotional catharsis to something more utilitarian: helping listeners feel calm and present.
Key Insight: “The ultimate goal would be it’s music that would be used to help people just be more calm and maybe present.”
[22:50] A New Earth: Spiritual Growth and Sobriety Growing Together
About 15 years ago, Jeff read Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth, which he says completely changed his life after years of searching without finding a way in.
That book led him toward chant music, sound baths, and a spiritual practice he sees as deeply tied to his relationship with alcohol.
He’s careful to say this isn’t about judging people who drink. For him personally, alcohol just no longer serves what he’s trying to build.
Key Insight: “I think the spiritual growth and the alcohol are very interconnected.”
[28:23] The Hangover, the Brain, and a Theory About Sad Music
Jeff and Josh discuss how alcohol triggers inflammation in the body, which is part of what a hangover actually is.
They talk through how alcohol can worsen depression and how the brain’s negativity bias, combined with modern stressors like social media, feeds a cycle of using alcohol to regulate the nervous system.
Jeff shares a personal theory that he became addicted to sad music the same way people get dependent on alcohol, reaching for it out of habit rather than need.
Key Insight: “I think if people are listening to sad music every day, I really would suggest trying to step back and take a look at that.”
Key Quotes
“I think that’s like a perfect analog to someone who’s shy and they’re drinking.” - Jeff Harrington
“I was someone who didn’t even really want to drink that much. I was probably very influenced by the culture around me.” - Jeff Harrington
“I found out so clearly that I’m extremely introverted and sensitive to all the noise.” - Jeff Harrington
“If my stomach magically healed, I wouldn’t be drinking at all. I don’t like it in my life anymore.” - Jeff Harrington
“I really feel more and more, I feel like people really underestimate how powerful music is.” - Jeff Harrington
Resources Mentioned
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Release Your Song (Jeff’s Substack on music and creativity)
Inside Sky Chant (Jeff’s Substack for his chant music)
Handpan (the instrument Jeff and Josh discuss in relation to nervous system regulation)
Sound baths (a guided meditation practice using instruments like handpans)
Where to Find Jeff
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to Florence Acosta, Noelle Richards, Peter, and many others who joined us live for this conversation, and to Jeff for his openness and generosity in sharing his story. Your presence and engagement make these conversations possible.
What This Conversation Points To
Jeff and Josh spent a good chunk of this episode on something worth pulling out on its own: the cycle of reaching for alcohol the moment an uncomfortable feeling shows up, because it soothes that feeling within minutes. Jeff broke that cycle on his own timeline, over years, without a program or a guide walking alongside him.
That’s exactly where 1:1 coaching comes in. If you’re recognizing that same cycle in your own life and you’re ready to shorten the timeline, let’s talk. No pitch, no commitment. Just a conversation about where you’re at and what might be possible.
