Tag: musicians and mental health

Independent Musicians Are Struggling With Mental Health At A Shocking Rate

A new survey revealed that 73% of independent musicians have dealt with mental health issues.

Mental health is a concern across the population as a whole, but a recent survey found it is especially prevalent in musicians.

A new study determined that 73% of independent musicians have reportedly struggled with mental health at some point in the past, stating they have dealt with “stress, anxiety and/or depression” connected to their work. This was particularly true in those ages 18-25, where more than 80% reported struggles with mental health.

The statistics come from Record Union, which is a digital distribution platform based in Sweden. The web survey was given to about 1,500 indie musicians from March 21 to April 2.

“Our study is telling us that something needs to change,” Record Union CEO Johan Svanberg said in a statement published on Billboard.com. “It’s time to put the state of our artists’ mental health on the agenda, before streams and commercial success. We as an industry must wake up and ask ourselves: What’s our responsibility in this and what can we do to create a healthier music climate?”

Additionally, the survey determined that of those surveyed, 33% dealt with panic attacks, 57% reported worrying about their mental health and 41% said they worried numerous times daily. Musicians reported that the ‘pressure to deliver” played a role in their experience, as well as fearing failure and struggling financially.

Despite the large amount of musicians that reported struggling, only 39% said they had reached out for help. However, 51% reported mainly using alcohol and drugs to self-mediate.

The survey also found that only 19% of independent musicians stated feeling that their industry is trying to generate a “sustainable music climate with healthy artists.”

As a result of the study, Record Union will be donating $30,000 to various projects focused on prevention and treatment of mental health struggles in musicians.

People are invited to submit projects to be considered for financial assistance, and the projects will then be voted on in June, and three winners will be chosen to split the $30,000.

“The music industry has traditionally been defining success on commercial terms,” Svanberg told Billboard. “To be seen as successful you need to reach high sales and tour goals. It’s always money first. To create a more sustainable music climate with healthier artists, we believe that this needs to change and that artists need to start thinking about their mental health as part of the success.”

View the original article at thefix.com

17 May 2019
Garbage's Shirley Manson Pens Essay About Self-Harm

“Today I try to remain vigilant against these old thought patterns. I vow to hold my ground. I attempt to be kind, not only to myself but also to other people.”

Shirley Manson has written a vulnerable op-ed for The New York Times, revealing that she began cutting herself as a teenager.

Manson writes that as a rage-filled teenager who had been bullied, had no direction in life, and felt “crushing depression” and the beginnings of alcoholism, she had no outlet for her emotions.

“I didn’t know I was a cutter until the first time I chose to cut. I didn’t even know it was a ‘thing,’” Manson wrote.

After an argument with a boyfriend, Manson took a small, silver knife she had tied to her shoelace and spontaneously cut her arm. She experienced feelings of relief and release from rage.

Manson wrote, “The problem of course with any practice of self-harm is that once you choose to indulge in it, you get better, more efficient, at it. I started to hurt myself more regularly. The cuts got deeper. I hid the scars under my stockings and never breathed a word about it to anyone.”

After a long reprieve from cutting, Manson returned to self-harm when again under incredible stress, this time as a famous musician. She was finally able to work free from the self-destructive act with time, emotional growth, and recognition of what was leading her to cut.

Manson reflects, “Today I try to remain vigilant against these old thought patterns. I vow to hold my ground. I choose to speak up. I attempt to be kind, not only to myself but also to other people. I surround myself with those who treat me well. I strive to be creative and determine to do things that make me happy. I believe it is not what we look like that is important, but who we are. It is how we choose to move through this bewildering world of ours that truly matters.”

Shirley Manson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. She became famous as the vocalist for the alt-rock band Garbage. Garbage released their self-titled debut album in 1995 which went double platinum, with hits like “Only Happy When It Rains” and “Stupid Girl.”

Manson told Consequence of Sound that Garbage will release a new album in 2019.

On the band’s future U.S. concert schedule, Manson said, “It will be a very limited run. This year is supposed to be us writing our new record, so we loathe to take off too much time. But we understand there’s been a frenzy demand from the fans, so we’re going to try to put on a few dates [in the U.S.].”

View the original article at thefix.com

6 July 2018
Paramore’s Hayley Williams Pens Powerful Mental Health Essay

“Writing kept me alive. Forced me to be honest. It helped me understand that emotional wellness and physical health are actually related.”

Paramore’s lead singer Hayley Williams is taking the shame out of sadness.

In the band’s most recent single “Rose-Colored Boy,” Williams sings, “Just let me cry a little bit longer/ I ain’t gon’ smile if I don’t want to.”

The chorus is a perfect summation of Williams’ current incarnation, as she’s emerged from difficult times and is (at least a little bit) comfortable enough to talk about it.

In a new essay for Paper magazine, Williams recalled when a lot came crashing down on her at the same time in both her personal life and her career.

“I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep, I didn’t laugh… for a long time,” she wrote. However, she added, “I’m still hesitant to call it depression. Mostly out of fear people will put it in a headline, as if depression is unique and interesting and deserves a click. Psychology is interesting. Depression is torment.”

But she said she managed to keep it together through writing. “Writing kept me alive. Forced me to be honest. Made me have empathy for [bandmate Taylor York] in his struggles with mental health. It helped me understand that emotional wellness and physical health are actually related,” she wrote.

Lately, she said she has felt a shift, as well as in the people around her. Paramore had not released new work since 2013, until they came out with After Laughter in the spring of 2017. The music and the timing of the album were significant for the band.

“[After Laughter] helps me mark this time as a significant turning point in my life,” said Williams. “I’m noticing similar movement in my friends’ lives too. More presence and awareness. More tenderness. I’m alive to both pain and joy now. I have my old laugh back, as my mom says… And only a couple years ago, I had hoped I’d die.”

Williams discussed her struggles with mental health in a summer 2017 interview with Fader, as well. She described a feeling of hopelessness that crept up on her in the “past couple of years.”

“I don’t feel as hopeful as I did as a teenager. For the first time in my life, there wasn’t a pinhole of light at the end of the tunnel,” she said at the time. “I thought, I just wish everything would stop. It wasn’t in the sense of, I’m going to take my life. It was just hopelessness. Like, what’s the point? I don’t think I understood how dangerous hopelessness is. Everything hurts.”

Paramore is currently on tour, which is set to wrap up in late August.

View the original article at thefix.com

1 June 2018