Spacehog's Jonny Cragg puts dialectic drumming skills to work during unlikely West Coast tour

Jonny Cragg, professional therapist by day – and most of the time, actually – is also the drummer of the rock band, Spacehog. While the boys from Leeds scored a monster hit with "In The Meantime" in the mid '90s, they ultimately produced four critically-acclaimed albums from 1995 to 2013. Still, even MTV mega success can be fleeting, and while critics and fans understood Spacehog matched its larger-than-life spectacle with stellar musicianship, it was easy to incorrectly label the band a one-hit wonder. The group's future seemed unlikely until "Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3" breathed new life into Spacehog, introducing its best-selling record to a new generation.

In the meantime (pun intended), Cragg went on to become a licensed mental health professional, intensively trained in both Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. He operates his practice out of Oakland, California, offering concrete skills for clients who are not as comfortable with conventional talk therapy.

But in Summer 2025, Cragg picked up his drumsticks once again for Spacehog's first tour in years, a short trip up and down the West Coast – and Andy Tarnoff took the opportunity to catch up with him in Portland, Oregon. The two have been friends and worked together at OnMilwaukee a decade ago – and a pre-show dinner made for a great excuse to record a Deep Dive podcast about the similarities, and obvious differences, between professional therapist and rock band drummer on the road.

Video version here: https://youtu.be/bGDtbj2PJrs

https://spacehog.band

https://www.jonnycraggcounseling.com

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Chapters:

00:00 A Surprising Comeback

03:06 The Intersection of Music and Mental Health

06:03 Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: A Creative Approach

09:00 Forgiveness and Acceptance in Music and Therapy

11:58 The Current State of the Music Industry

14:52 Future Possibilities for Spacehog