We met Rein in 2025 and sat down with him as he shared his story: a music producer and DJ from New York who's made a home in Colorado, known for his house and electronic music as Shady Jones.
Growing up in the rooms
His father got sober 26 years ago; his mother was sober for a ten-year stretch of his childhood. He was going to AA celebration meetings by the time he was six or seven.
"I always had that constant presence of AA in my life — my dad with the Big Book, shoving it down my throat, telling me if you stay sober through college, you'll get a car. I never got that car. It was an AC Cobra. I really would have liked that. I like to say I had to do my own research."
This time is different
"This time around, it's definitely been therapy — books like Nonviolent Communication have helped. Getting off drugs and alcohol, while it's been a slow process, has been the easy part for me this time. What I distinguish between sobriety and being dry is growing your character."
Showing up sober in the scene
As a DJ working in electronic music, Rein wasn't sure at first whether sobriety and that world could coexist.
"I faced a lot of trepidation — how am I going to show up in this space and be sober? Is this even viable? I wore it on my sleeve and let people meet me where I'm at, and I found a lot of people were so receptive. I never really faced any pressure. My family's always instrumental — my mother is my cornerstone. And I have my partner, who's also sober."
Why keep making music at all
We asked why he chose to keep his music going after getting sober, rather than walking away from a scene so tied to his using,
"After getting sober, I was like, well, this music is still important to me — I'm going to see if I can continue to navigate the club scene, and bring my sobriety into the conversation. It could still help people, when they come to find my music and think, I like this guy, and then, oh, there's something here maybe that I'm also struggling with. Maybe they don't need to go full sober — but my whole thing has always been: I need to relook at my relationship with these substances, and see if it's harmful, or if this is the best that I could be."
His pick from the original 27 Club
"The Doors. Hard to pick a favorite — 'The End.' It's a great desert song."
Follow Rein
- Music: @shadyjonesmusic on Instagram
Interview filmed and edited by Lex Chamizo. 2025.
Rein is wearing The Cycle T-Shirt.
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