THANKYOU
I’ve always been shy about my love for making music. I would share it in music class, but I was often afraid of how I would be perceived. The amount of shame I would feel after showing my songs to someone was crippling. I wanted to be good. I wanted my music to be perceived as perfect.
Then in 2022, I began experimenting with drugs. It started with weed, then alcohol, and then, as quickly as my personal life was falling apart, my drug use did too.
There is no perfection, tidiness or peace in substance abuse. It is messy, unhinged, abusive and so much more. It is a disease that can affect anyone.
It was debilitating knowing that the turmoil I was experiencing could be seen by other people. When the shame consumed me, I would consume more substances to cope.
But when the vodka and drugs ran out, I was left with nothing but an extreme depression. A heightened version of the depression that sober me was already trying to seek solace from.
It was then that I had to bear my emotions. Eventually, I had to bear the lack of them too.
Music has been the only substance I have ever felt understood by. My emotions felt so physical and I have often felt uncomfortable in my own skin. It was music that reminded me there was no serenity in self harm. It reminded me of moments in my life that shaped me. It’s corny, but it’s why I find so much peace in pop music. It reminds me of who I was before I had my innocence taken advantage of.
DON’T DO DRUGS is the first EP of a trilogy I have been silently working on since I was a teenager. Although it’s not the first chronological release, it is something I have had to put out into the world. I am no longer afraid of how I am being perceived. I have learnt to welcome it.
Releasing this project has liberated me from the desire to escape through substances. However, it took a lot more than making music to set me free.
I didn’t realise how bad my addiction had become until a friend suggested I go to rehab. I didn’t fight it. I decided it was the right thing to do. I reached out to my counsellor and within three days I was in a detox centre. It was there that I met other people experiencing the same tumultuous emotions.
We related to our messy drug use, but also to our desire to get clean and become part of society again.
Going to detox changed my life. It began a journey of relapses, another detox, rehab, NA meetings and AA meetings. I learnt so much about myself. I was surrounded by loving people who all shared the same goal. Some people had been clean for ten years. Others had just come out of rehab. These are people I will always remember and find comfort in.
To those who are struggling, whether silently or loudly, I want you to know that it will be okay. I have listed resources that helped me throughout my journey. I remember being scared that I would lose my ability to work, study, and keep the people and things I loved. But addiction takes your time, and eventually, it takes your life.
You are not alone. No matter who you are or what you have done, your life is sacred. Recovery is not easy, but it is possible. You deserve the chance to become someone you are proud of.
I have so much gratitude for everyone who listened to this project or helped me create it.
I want to thank my Oma and Dad for their unwavering support in everything I do. My Oma quietly works so hard to help me make music and go to uni. The studio she has created for me has become my safe place.
I want to thank Wilbur for being my rock, my world, my everything. He has sat through every studio session, every tear, every happy moment, and has kept me grounded while this past month has been so unpredictable.
I want to thank Teeani and Bella. These are friends who have seen me at my lowest and still choose to support me. I cannot put into words how grateful I am for them. They have seen me through every chapter that this trilogy will touch on. I always feel peaceful when I’m with Bella. She grounds me and reminds me of who I was before my addiction. Teeani listened to every song long before it was released. She helped with every photoshoot and played such a big part in bringing this EP together.
I’m not sure when I will release the next EP. It could be four months from now or it could be two years. Only time and experience will tell.
Thank you so much ❤️
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
DON'T DO DRUGS is the debut extended play by Australian artist Rupert Leonard, releasing July 3, 2026.
The project’s lead single, onetwentyfive, was featured in Happy Mag’s New Music Radar as one of the tracks worth throwing into rotation, marking an early introduction to the world of the EP. Created over a three year period, the six track project is heavily inspired by Leonard's experience with psychosis. Blending electronic production with personal storytelling, the EP explores themes of perception, identity, fear, and the feeling that something is not quite right beneath the surface.
Designed as a concept record, DON'T DO DRUGS follows a loose narrative centred around an unknown presence that slowly begins to alter the mind. Reality becomes harder to trust as memories shift, details disappear, and ordinary experiences take on new meanings. Rather than telling a clear story, the project leaves space for interpretation, inviting listeners to piece together what is happening for themselves.
Throughout the EP, electronic textures and distorted soundscapes are used to create an atmosphere of uncertainty. Moments of clarity are often interrupted by confusion, mirroring the psychological tension that runs through the project.
onetwentyfive, released June 5, serves as the first introduction to this world. In the lead up to release, it has reached 4,000 streams and 10,000 plus views across social media, building early momentum for the project.
Rupert was interviewed to help promote onetwentyfive. The feature focuses on Leonard’s original track “onetwentyfive”, describing the release as a track that blends atmospheric electronic production with emotionally charged, experimental sound design. The interview explores both the creative process behind the track and the personal themes that influenced its development.
In the Wizard Water Agency interview, Rupert Leonard discusses his approach to music production and how he builds immersive sonic environments using layered synths, textured rhythms, and minimal yet impactful arrangement choices. The track review highlights “onetwentyfive” as a deeply atmospheric piece of electronic music that balances intensity with emotional restraint.
A key focus of the feature is the connection between Leonard’s lived experience and his sound. The track is described as drawing inspiration from altered perception and psychological intensity, translating internal experience into structured electronic composition. This gives “onetwentyfive” a distinctive identity within contemporary Australian electronic music.
Wizard Water Agency positions Rupert Leonard as part of a new wave of independent electronic artists in Australia who are pushing beyond traditional genre boundaries. His work is described as cinematic, immersive, and emotionally grounded, with a strong focus on narrative-driven sound design.
You can read the full interview here
Together, the EP’s six tracks form a personal body of work that reflects on some of the most challenging experiences of Leonard's life while transforming them into something immersive and open to interpretation.
DON'T DO DRUGS marks Rupert Leonard's first major release and the beginning of a larger artistic vision.
Tracklist:
- Another Time
- Drink Up
- onetwentyfive (Released)
- …Oxenfree
- Does This Make Sense (Released)
- Heaven (outro)