Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett - My Brain Surgery with Maribou State’s Chris Davids

Download My Brain Surgery with Maribou State’s Chris Davids

Chris Davids of electronic duo Maribou State discusses suffering from a rare brain condition, how it affected his passion for making music and the surgery and experimental procedure that led to his recovery.

Chris was experiencing extreme headaches while working on the group’s third album, Hallucinating Love, during lockdown. Eventually he was diagnosed with a Chiari malformation, meaning the lower part of his brain was pushing down into his spinal canal. He talks to Emma about a complex period which has now ended with a creative renewal.

In Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett, the award-winning interviewer speaks to people you will know and people you should know about the experiences that are shaping their lives. If you want to join the conversation you can email the team at readytotalk@bbc.co.uk, or you can send a WhatsApp message or voice note to 08000 556 101.

Published on Friday, 13th February 2026.

Available Podcasts from Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett

Subscribe to Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Ready to Talk with Emma Barnett webpage.