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On this powerful episode of Going There with Dr. Mike, Luke Jenner, founding member of the dance-punk band The Rapture, opens up about his decades-long struggle with mental health, family trauma, and finding ways to survive when “there is no way out.” With a trigger warning for discussions of suicide and sexual abuse, Luke shares his journey through some of life’s darkest moments toward healing and purpose.
Luke’s story begins with his mother’s bipolar disorder and her devastating way of preparing him for what she saw as his inevitable fate. When Kurt Cobain died by suicide in 1994, she showed him a Time article, telling him: “Do you know this guy? This guy’s like a hero of yours. He’s bipolar, I’m bipolar. You might be bipolar, one out of three bipolar people kill themselves. You might kill yourself. Good luck.” This moment crystallized years of living with her repeated suicide threats, which eventually became reality when she took her own life in 2006. Luke describes how his initial mission was simply “keeping her alive,” but after her death, he had to learn an entirely new survival skill: “now I have to take care of myself and I don’t know how to find the way out.”
The musician candidly discusses his belief that “most people believe that they’re fundamentally unlovable” and how he used various forms of what he calls “permission” to survive — baseball, drinking, drugs, and ultimately music. He credits alcohol with saving his life during his darkest periods, explaining his philosophy for young people: “just don’t die before you’re 30” because “people don’t really get their feelings fully until they’re like 32, 33.” His breakthrough came through understanding that healing often requires giving yourself “permission to not think about yourself,” especially through music and performance where he could be “angry on stage” in ways that helped both himself and audiences.
Luke’s journey from surviving to thriving involved learning to channel rage into transcendence – a process he describes as the spectrum “from black flag to spiritual music.” His work with The Rapture became about giving “permission for people to not think about themselves and to channel” their emotions safely. Now working as a life coach alongside his music career, Luke emphasizes that “the real way out for me is to not hate yourself anymore” and that recovery often requires finding healthy dependence rather than fierce independence.
Listen to Luke Jenner discuss his journey from hopelessness to healing on Going There with Dr. Mike above. You can catch The Rapture on their upcoming North American tour beginning in September, followed by European dates in November, by getting tickets here.
Those in need of mental health assistance can also check out the Sound Mind Live resources page for a list of helplines, community programs, therapy links, and more.
Going There is created in partnership between the Consequence Podcast Network and Sound Mind Live. This season is brought to you by Johnson & Johnson, who believes that health is everything. Their strength in healthcare innovation empowers them to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through their expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, they are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com, on the @JanssenUS and @JNJInnovMed on X.