On Air Now
The Evening Show with Dan O'Connell 7pm - 10pm
Pete Doherty found it hard to imagine living without heroin
27 January 2025, 10:03
The Libertines rocker has opened up about how recording music and touring became a stopped him from sitting around and using heroin.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Pete Doherty has admitted that he thought he'd eventually relapse on heroin.
The Libertines frontman has a well-documented addiction, but in recent years has turned is life around.
Though the Can't Stand Me Now singer has admitted that even after he got clean, he found it hard to believe he would stay off the drug, but now thinks it's more "realistic" he can live without it.
“The more time that passes, the more realistic it seems that I can live without heroin," he told the Big Issue. Because I am living without it. But for a long time it was very hard to imagine – heroin was always there for so long.
“And even when I gave it up, in the back of my head, there was a sense that eventually ‘I will find my way back to you.’”
Read more:
- What are The Libertines' biggest songs?
- Carl Barât banned drink and drugs from The Libertines' album sessions
- Pete Doherty opens up about "sacred and precious" family life away from touring
The Babyshambles rocker, who has been clean since 2019, also shared that he was often kept alive by touring and creating music.
The 45-year-old rocker told the outlet: "A lot of the chaos and confusion and extremes that came from using drugs fuelled not my ability to create, but my need to create.
“I’d do a tour or record albums because I f****** needed to or I was going to sit around and die. And anyway, I needed the money.”
He went on: "When you’re using that heavily, you can’t be around your family. You can occasionally manage to make the music thing work.”
However, now the Time For Heroes singer gets a “satisfaction and pleasure” from his 20-month-old daughter and wife Katia de Vidas.
"The satisfaction and pleasure I thought I was getting from drugs I’ve been getting from elsewhere – like family things.
"And I’m trying to make it all work, taking my missus and the baby and the dogs on the road.”
Read more:
- How did The Libertines come up with their name?
- REVIEW: The Libertines bring On The Beach Brighton 2024 to a triumphant close
Doherty previously opened up about the "sacred" life which he cherishes with his young family.
Asked on RTE One's Tommy Tiernan Show what the "shape of the day" is for him, the rocker replied: "Generally about the baby, to be honest. It’s just around her. Is se safe, is she needs feeding or feeding and then we got two quite big dogs, and they need quite a bit of exercise as well, so it’s balancing all that, you know..."
Doherty also admitted to being bad with finances and needing to carry on touring because of it and why it means he has to "hold on tight" to moments at home with his daughter.
He went on: “I’m so used to now jumping into that almost formulaic way of going out and being in a band or performing, you know. This thing I do, which I like to think of as melodic incantation and poetry, it’s actually… It’s also a product unfortunately and that's what I have to do, because I’ve been terribly lax in my business dealings and financial affairs. I mean, like, it’s just ridiculous"
"So, you know, we’re living in my parent in laws' and so just hold on tight to those moments like these, like sacred moments."
The What a Waster rocker reflected not being there to watch his two other children - Astille (21), whom he shares with Lisa Moorish, and Aisling (13) who he shares with Lindi Hingston - grow, which is why he believes his time with younger daughter Billie-May is "precious".
He went on: “I do have two other children, but I wasn’t there when they were growing up or anything, you know. So this is something really sacred and precious, so it’s just kind of cocooned. So whatever shape a cocoon is”.
Doherty will continue to keep himself busy this year. Not only is he headed out on European dates with The Libs nexrt month, but he's hinted at 20th anniversary dates for Babyshambles.
Doherty is also set to release his new solo LP, Felt Better Alive, on Friday 16th May through his Strap Originals label.
From it comes lead single and the album's title track, which you can watch the official video for below:
Peter Doherty - Felt Better Alive (Official Video)
See Pete Doherty - Felt Better Alive tracklisting
- Calvados
- Pot Of Gold
- The Day the Baron Died
- Stade Océan
- Out Of Tune Ballon
- Felt Better Alive
- Ed Belly
- Poca Mahoney’s
- Fingee
- Prêtre De La Mer
- Empty Room
To support the record, he will play nine Anywhere In Albion UK shows and seven Felt Better Alive In Europe shows.
Ticket for the dates are available to presale now at peterdoherty.orcd.co/feltbetteralive.
If you have been affected by any of the topics covered in this story, please reach out to the resources below:
Addiction Family Support UK
https://addictionfamilysupport.org.uk/
We Are With You
https://www.wearewithyou.org.uk/
SMART Recovery
Read more:
- Pete Doherty says Babyshambles reunion & tour is "on the cards" for 2025
- The Libertines' 2025 gig at London's Gunnersbury Park: How to buy tickets
