S2 E6: A Conversation With Marc Labelle About Pursuing Passion

This week on The Hardcore Humanism Podcast we are talking with Marc Labelle, vocalist of the hard rock band Dirty Honey. In 2019, Dirty Honey became the first unsigned band ever to be #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart with their song “When I’m Gone.” Dirty Honey is releasing their self-titled full-length debut album on April 23rd, and their first single of the album “California Dreamin’” is already getting great reviews. Rolling Stone called the song, “A bold opener with towering hooks and slipshod grooves…featuring smoking guitar solos bookended by massive riffs and hooks.”

Now in our discussion, Labelle talks very specifically about his purpose and what has guided a lot of his decision making, which is a passion for music. There is mounting evidence that people who have a strong sense of purpose experience improved physical and emotional health. For example, one study of over 7,000 adults age 50 and above found that people with stronger sense of purpose had lower mortality. Another study found that individuals with a stronger sense of purpose showed enhanced emotion regulation. A strong sense of purpose can also be the key to self-actualization – or the complete realization of one’s potential — a concept that humanistic theorists such as Albert Maslow feel represent the essence of thriving as a human being. Thus, understanding how we can discover and nurture a strong sense of purpose may be an important pathway towards optimal health and well-being.

Labelle shares the story of how he went to California with no job, no home, and no band to pursue his passion for music. And for a long period of time, he lived in his car or on friends’ porches to get by. During this time, he was able to build a schedule that reflected his needs not just to survive but also to pursue his music career, including songwriting, band practice and playing shows. What makes Labelle’s and Dirty Honey’s accomplishments thus far even more impressive is that they are doing everything without a record label, which means that he and his band are engaged in a great deal of the business of the band that is often handled by a record label. They are an independent band that is building from the ground up – and having great success so far.

And all the while, what guides Labelle’s decisions – including who he wants in his band and as supportive people around him — is a passion for music. That is the glue for him. He needs to be in a band with and surrounded by people who support that passion he feels and his purpose in music. And when we have that purpose – that commitment to something that feels bigger than ourselves – it can help us overcome adversity whether living in our car or trying to become rock stars as an independent band.