Podcast Summary: takin' a walk

Episode: "Classic Music Saved Me – A Man on the Brink Saved by Music: Austin John Winkler"

Host: Buzz Knight (via companion podcast promotion), Interviewer: Lynn Hoffman
Guest: Austin John Winkler (former Hinder frontman, founder of "The Founder")
Date: November 1, 2025

Overview

This episode features a raw, intimate conversation between Lynn Hoffman and Austin John Winkler, rock singer-songwriter best known as the former frontman of Hinder, now forging a new path with his solo project "The Founder." Winkler shares his story of losing and rediscovering his passion for music—against a backdrop of addiction, health crises, and personal transformation—and discusses how embracing vulnerability inspires his creative rebirth and helps others.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Creation of "The Founder" and Artistic Rebirth

• Austin’s new project, The Founder, was born out of a desire for complete creative control and authenticity.
  • Austin: “I didn't want to ever put out anything again that I wasn't going to be in full control of. And so that's kind of how The Founder was born...I was able to put my whole heart into something again, you know, for the first time in a while.” [04:12]
• The project’s EP "Walking Dead" showcases a more raw and personal approach, a departure from the polished sound of his earlier work.

2. Music as Salvation During Addiction and Illness

• Austin speaks openly about enduring a near-fatal period of addiction, resulting in liver and kidney failure, and spending nine months on dialysis at just 37.
• His lowest point led to an unexpected creative awakening while writing “Super Jaded”:
  • Austin: “I started writing a song called Super Jaded and I hit a C chord on a chorus and that was the moment...I cried in my hotel room at like 2am...I could feel myself just like my body rele from this music healing vibration...that's that, that just like started a complete new love for music.” [05:40]
• Music became therapy: Writing and performing new songs bridged his soul back to hope and meaning.

3. The Reality of Health Struggles in Recovery

• Austin gives a visceral account of being in a dialysis center, feeling like the youngest person surrounded by much older patients and resigning to the possibility this could be his life.
  • Austin: “To walk into dialysis like a dialysis center at 5am, four days a week, five hours at a time. And I'm 37 years old...everybody else is 70 and on the way. I'm the youngest guy in there.” [08:34]
• He recounts how a doctor’s brief approval to pause treatment was immediately seized for music-making:
  • “My brain didn't even think about it. I'm like, I gotta go record this song.” [07:58]

4. Vulnerability as an Artist and Songwriter

• Austin emphasizes the healing, connecting power of honesty in songwriting.
  • Austin: “If you're writing songs about your life even, you know, like, be honest. Be as honest as you can because deep down...somebody's gonna feel the exact same way if you're just honest with yourself.” [02:20; 14:17]
• He credits the deeply personal roots of hits like “Lips of an Angel,” which, though written quickly, came from a real vulnerable moment in his life.

5. Support Networks, Mental Health, and the Music Industry

• Organizations like MusiCares were critical to Austin’s recovery, granting him a 90-day rehab scholarship, highlighting the lack of accessible mental health help for entertainers.
  • Austin: “MusiCares has done so much for me...they took care of, like, my...gave me a scholarship for my rehab, 90 days.” [10:33]
• He celebrates the rise of therapy tents at festivals and the growing awareness among artists of industry pressures and isolation.
  • “The business is designed to isolate you. Like, the bigger you get, the smaller your world gets.” [11:44]

6. The Cycle of Fame, Burnout, and Recovery

• Having “learned how to be from MTV,” Austin describes living out every rock cliché—using drugs, marrying his music video co-star—and losing touch with his passion and purpose.
  • “I did everything you shouldn't do...that's kind of how I feel, like the MTV raised me kind of thing, you know?” [15:41]
• He reflects on the importance of boundaries and advises young artists that “it's ok to say no” amidst the industry’s relentless demands. [19:12]

7. Giving Back and Wanting His Experience to Help Others

• Austin finds deep meaning in messages from fans who connect to his songs, feeling a responsibility to use his music and platform for healing.
  • Austin: “To be able to write something that connects with somebody who is going through the same thing as you, and to be able to go on stage and sing that and them sing it back to you is an indescribable feeling.” [17:33]
• The concert experience, for him, becomes “a little church or whatever for people who go on through heavy shit.” [18:33]

8. Legacy and Personal Reflections

• On legacy, Austin hopes to be remembered as “somebody that, that fights for what he loves”—open about struggles, passionate about music, and committed to connecting with others on life's tough road. [22:18]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Music saved me...I think that being vulnerable is a very important part of an artist's job.” – Austin John Winkler [02:20]
• “I started writing a song called Super Jaded and...I cried in my hotel room at like 2am.” – Austin [05:40]
• “Music helps me all the time, daily. And to be able to write something that connects with somebody...is more rewarding than any amount of numbers in a bank account.” – Austin [17:33]
• “My advice to my younger self would be like, dude, it's okay to say no.” – Austin [19:12]
• “I just want to be known for maybe taking time, whatever. I come to the city and it just kind of pushes everything...and you can sit and scream your head off to rock and roll songs.” – Austin [22:18]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:20] Austin on music saving his life and the importance of vulnerability
• [04:12] Creation of The Founder and reclaiming creative control
• [05:40] Moment of rediscovering love for music during health crisis
• [08:34] Vivid description of time in dialysis and hitting bottom
• [10:33] MusiCares’ role in his recovery and the need for artist support
• [14:17] Vulnerability and authenticity in songwriting
• [15:41] “Learning” from MTV and confronting the downsides of fame
• [17:33] Connecting with fans, music as daily therapy
• [19:12] Advice to young artists: the power of “no” and self-care
• [22:18] On legacy, connection, and “fighting for what you love”

Tone and Language

The conversation is authentic, heartfelt, and at times raw. Austin is candid about pain and redemption; Lynn is empathetic and supportive. Their dialogue is filled with mutual respect and a shared belief in music’s power to heal—offering encouragement and hope for those facing their own battles.

Takeaways

• Honest storytelling and vulnerability can be the greatest sources of healing and artistic power.
• The music industry often isolates and pressures artists—finding help and setting boundaries is vital for survival and creativity.
• Music is a lifeline: for listeners and for creators, offering connection and a sense of shared struggle.
• Austin’s story is a powerful testament to the redemptive force of art and the importance of caring for both self and others.

For fans of music, recovery, and human resilience, this episode offers insight, inspiration, and a reminder that, as Austin says, “everybody’s human...somebody’s gonna feel the exact same way if you’re just honest with yourself.” [14:17]