This Friday (25th January) sees the release of a music video with a difference: where the entire cast is made up of people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, shot against the iconic backdrop of Brighton.

This new approach to making music springs from the creative talents of  We Are Not Saints – an independent record label in Hove dedicated to finding and working with people with real talent who are in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

The video launches the debut single from Jim Trickster, a Brighton-based musician who is in recovery himself.

Jim bounced around the Brighton music scene for many years whilst in active addiction and, once sober, had all but resigned himself to the fact that any career in music was over. Then he met Chris De Banks, founder of We Are Not Saints and two and a half years in recovery.

Chris said:

These people are amazing, talented, and often gifted musicians and songwriters who would surely have had promising careers in music if it wasn’t for addiction. If they hadn’t found themselves on that unfortunate path, they could very easily have been your favourite act, headlined your favourite festival, or featured on your favourite Spotify playlist.

Other artists currently working with the label include Suffolk-born accoustic pop musician Liam Boraman and jazz guitarist and singer-songwriter Man Like Malcolm.

Chris De Banks continued:

We Are Not Saints is about amazing music, world class talent, chances, and opportunities. If it wasn’t for funding from The Forward Trust’s Enterprise Fund and coaching from Crowdfunder, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to give our artists second chances and give you the opportunity to hear incredible music from an unseen world of creative talent.

More information on We Are Not Saints can be found at www.wearenotsaints.co.uk.

Photo: Chris De Banks, We Are Not Saints