Raw, uncompromising, human, humorous and heartbreaking stories.

Inspired by the lyrics of the Prince song “When Doves Cry”, “Maybe I’m just like my father” is an audio series that explores the relationships between artists, their fathers, their children and the effects it has on their creative outputs.

We tell the human, humorous and heartbreaking stories of dads from a wide range of backgrounds, and creative disciplines, including musicians, filmmakers, rappers, songwriters, visual artists, radio presenters, DJs and graffiti artists.

Think ‘Desert Island Discs’ made for dads and by dads, sharing stories that usually never get told and interspersed with the artists’ choice of three songs that helped shape their lives.

We go deep into the personal battles of loneliness, social isolation, and mental health—everything from adoption, abortion, autism and addiction.

Our aim is that the project proves to be a successful pilot, and we can continue longer-term to capture 96 individual voices.

This relates to the 96 men under 45 who are being lost to suicide in the UK each week. Why? Because men don’t talk. We aim to challenge that.

Essentially nothing is off-limits.

In the first episode, we talk to UK rap Legend Blade.

During a 30 year career in the music industry that saw him perform on “Top of the Pops” and supporting Enimen – he was also a stay-at-home dad of two boys, struggling to build the family life that he never had.

In episode two, we talk to Creative Director Mark Slade.

A dad of two and son of a drummer, Mark heads up a band of sonic renegades at the likes of Glastonbury and Ted X. Yet, the London agency world still took its toll on the first part of fatherhood.

In episode three, we talk to filmmaker Kristian Coburn.

As a stay-at-home dad, Kristian’s life has taken him from making films for major brands, van driving for Argos, going viral with Damon Albarn, working backstage with the likes of Beyonce and Elton John, on to dealing with his wife’s burst appendix during the third trimester.

In episode four, we talked to stand up comedian and author  Kevin Day.

Legendary stand-up comedian, broadcaster, podcaster, and dad of one, Kevin talks about how fatherhood changed him, his love of Joy Division, living with the “Black Dog” as a child, and how coming to a Dad La Soul Session was the nearest he has ever come to therapy.

In episode five, we talk to International renowned concept artist and illustrator Dan Lish.

Dan talks about growing up around the American Airforce bases of Suffolk, how his parent’s separation at the age of ten led to a turbulent few years and the trauma he still feels today.

We chat through what it is like turning 50, the challenges of being a dad to teenage girls, finding and losing his Jewish faith after the death of a friend – and finding a home with the architects of the Hip-Hop community in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

This series is supported and funded by the Creative Commissions project by Adur & Worthing Trust.