FROM STIGMA TO SINGALONGS: MENTAL HEALTH IN ALTERNATIVE MUSIC
By Granny Anarchy
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a “state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life work productively … & is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”
Mental illness affects how one thinks, feels, & behaves. There are over 200 mental health disorders. Some of the most common include anxiety, eating disorders (ED), mood disorders like bipolar & depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), personality disorders like borderline (BPD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, & substance abuse. Mental illness doesn’t include neurological conditions such as ADHD, autism, or Tourette Syndrome, although it can often co-occur with them.
TORTURED ARTISTS: TRUE?
Aphorisms such as “There is no great genius without some touch of madness” (Aristotle) are often interpreted as acknowledgment of the creative personality - which has, at least anecdotally, a complex relationship with mental illness¹. Visual artists, writers, theater workers, & musicians tend to be diagnosed with mental health disorders at higher rates than those in non-creative careers. They may also be more prone to suicide than the general population².
¹ https://www.psypost.org/newevidence-on-the-mad-genius-theoryare-famous-artists-more-prone-tomental-illness/ ²
https://www.artshub.com.au/news/fe atures/20x20-why-creative-peopleare-more-prone-to-depression261229-2368732/
THE MAD GENIUS OF MUSIC
Musicians with & songs about mental illness are older than punk or rock & roll itself, but let's begin with the Boomers. The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson (schizoaffective disorder & depression,) Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett (undiagnosed,) & Hendrix’s “Manic Depression” shaped the 60s soundscape.
In the 70s, David Bowie lived as a drug-crazed paranoid recluse & Lou Reed displayed an array of symptoms. Joey Ramone had OCD & schizophrenia; Dee Dee was bipolar. Reed & the Ramones wrote
about their treatment & selfmedication. Their lyrics referred to shock therapy, institutionalization, & drug use. At the end of the decade, Nancy Spungen (schizophrenia) was killed & boyfriend Sid Vicious died of an overdose.
In 1980, Joy Division's Ian Curtis (epilepsy, depression) suicided. "Ceremony," one of the last songs he recorded & performed, continues to be a tribute to him by remaining bandmates New Order. 1980 contained other tragic events; the prescient suicide of The Germs' Darby Crash was overshadowed by the murder of John Lennon.
Rudimentary Peni formed in 1980; singer Nick Blinko (schizoaffective disorder) was institutionalized & many of his works allude to his experiences.
RP remains active and Blinko is also a prolific artist & writer.
During the 80s, G.G. Allin (undiagnosed) assaulted others, defecated on stage, & self-harmed. What would be known as goth music explored mental illness with songs such as Bauhaus' “Antonin Artaud" (about the schizophrenic French playwright) & “Christine" by Siouxie & the Banshees (regarding Christine Costner-Sizemore, [dissociative identity disorder, aka multiple personalities.])
Goth, the commodification of college/alternative rock, & the publication of books "Prozac Nation" in 1994 led to the first wave of mental health acceptance in music. By the late 80s & early 90s, entertainers were more open about substance use & abuse, if not always about other diagnoses.
The 90s were infamously linked with Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, the Gen X grunge guitarist/singer who died of a controversial suicide. Kurt suffered from addiction & depression & made many references to guns & his own death. Kurt's suicide was one of many deaths in & from the era: G.G. Allin, Wes Berggren (Tripping Daisy), Dwayne Goettel (Skinny Puppy), Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon), Bradley Nowell (Sublime), Kristen Pfaff (Hole), John Saunders (Mad Season), Hillel Slovak (RHCP), & Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone) all overdosed in the 90s. Stefanie Sargent (7 Year Bitch) died of asphyxiation from vomiting after intoxication.
Doug Hopkins (Gin Blossoms) suicided.
Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, Mike Starr, & Scott Weiland would all die from drugs or suicide in the 2000s.
In 2001, Interpol’s Paul Banks (anxiety, depression, substance abuse) stood on a Manhattan street & watched the Twin Towers fall. Youngsters from the New York scene which included Interpol, Liars, The Strokes, & Yeah Yeah Yeahs went on to perform in emo bands, such as Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz (bipolar) & My Chemical Romance's Gerard (depression) & Mikey (bipolar) Way. Emo - derived from emotional hardcore - openly addresses anxiety, depression, & emotional turmoil. Its rise allowed more authentic expression and less marginalization of mental illness.
Off With Their Heads formed in 2002. Singer Ryan Young suffered a nervous breakdown & the band left a 2013 tour with The Flatliners. In 2014, Young launched "Anxious & Angry³," a podcast focused on mental health issues. ³ https://anxiousandangry.com/pages/ podcast
Idles' Joe Talbot (anxiety, substance abuse) has been very open about his mental health & mental health in general, advocating against toxic masculinity.
Frank Turner has also been open about mental health, advising therapy. Two of his songs are about the suicides of his friends, Josh and Scott.
In 2017, longtime band Placebo auctioned off memorabilia to benefit CALM/The Campaign Against Living Miserably to raise awareness for suicide among young men in the UK⁴ . ⁴
https://www.nme.com/news/music/pla cebo-celebrate-raising-thousandsmental-health-charity-calm-fanauction-2269983
Frank Turner is an ambassador for CALM, as is New Order⁵ . ⁵ https://www.thecalmzone.net/ourambassadors
The Irish band Sprints, formed in 2019, explores mental illness in self-described autobiographical songs "Ticking" & "Heavy" are dark and anxious. "Shadow Of A Doubt" is about suicidal ideation. Older material like “Delia Smith” &
“Little Fix” refer to anxiety, depression, & medication.
Be Well formed in 2019. Singer Brian Macternan (depression)also a producer & vocalist for hardcore band Battery - says "When I was hospitalized when I was a kid, it was so shameful to have mental health issues that my parents didn’t tell anyone … I’m not just talking about mental health here, but people feeling more comfortable talking about having been raped or kids coming out⁶"
⁶ https://loudwire.com/be-wellbrian-mcternan-morning-lightweight-and-the-cost-albuminterview/
READ: RESOURCES & STATISTICS
Many other musicians and music lovers have come forward and come together to speak about their experiences & have supported "stop the stigma" initiatives or other mental health awareness campaigns. Here are some resources:
���� Hardcore Anxiety: A Graphic Guide to Punk Rock & Mental Health - Reid Chancellor
���� Scream Therapy: A Punk Journey through Mental Health - Jason Schreurs
https://screamtherapyhq.com/
���� Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual - Ed. Tamsin Embleton with input by Nile Rodgers, Radiohead’s Philip Selway, & more https://www.touringmanual.com/
���� Going There with Dr. Mike. Hosted by licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Mike Friedman, the weekly series aims to create a safe space for musicians to have honest, healthy conversations in order to challenge perceptions of mental health.
https://consequence.net/goingthere/ ���� Sound Affects Podcast: Music & Mental Health, with Katy Georgiou https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podc ast/sound-affects-podcast-musicmental-health-withkaty/id1331897982 https://open.spotify.com/show/2mOG oi0QeHiwwRoJuetOkC
���� ���� "Musicians are more likely NOT to seek help, fearing that meds would tamp down their creativity and, in most cases, not having any health insurance … Joseph Penola, who created the You Rock Foundation, a suicide prevention organization ... conducted a series of powerful interviews where a number of metal, punk and rap artists spoke openly about their mental health struggles."
https://pleasekillme.com/musicand-mental-health/
https://begoodtoyourselfmusic.com
resources https://backline.care/
���� ���� Seventy -three percent of independent musicians have experienced "stress, anxiety and/or depression" in relation to their work, a new study has found. https://www.billboard.com/music/mu sic-news/mental-illnessindependent-musicians-study-73percent-record-union-8509490/
���� ���� Musicians suffer more mental ill health than the general population, yet their lifestyles make them harder to support. https://musiciansunion.org.uk/care er-development/careerguides/musicians-wellbeingguidance-pack/musicians-andmental-illness-what-is-being-doneto-help
���� ����Musically Active People Have a Slightly Higher Genetic Risk for Certain Mental Illnesses
https://neurosciencenews.com/music -genetics-mental-health-22468/
���� ���� "Toronto’s Royal Mountain Records does something so basic, yet so radical among record labels: subsidizes its artists’ therapy"
https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/how -one-indie-label-is-combattingthe-mental-health-crisis-amongmusicians/
���� Backline connects music industry professionals & their families with mental health & wellness
���� Punk Talks aims to provide free, professional therapy & services to touring musicians, music fans & music industry workers https://punktalks.org/
���� https://www.nami.org/
���� https://988oklahoma.com/
Others haven’t been as open, but have penned or performed songs; here’s a small sample of Mental Health Music: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/ 0NudlG12YtKdWkzxvTQnmD?si=9d2cfe5f 8e634c7c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa c1CZbmiNg
Bedrokan song about the difficulties of being neurodivergent & having mental health issues
A CONDENSED CATALOG OF COMPASSION
There’s not enough time nor space to account for everyone, but here’s an abridged list of some of the alt-musical artists who have required understanding fans, needed to take breaks, or met tragic fates.
Confirmed Diagnoses:
311, Nick Hexum - anxiety
Adam Ant - anorexia, bipolar
Babes in Toyland, Kat Bjellandschizoaffective disorder
Bad Brains, HR - schizoaffective disorder
Blondie, Debbie Harry - anxiety, depression
Blur, Damon Albarn - anxiety, depression + Graham Coxonanxiety, substance abuse
Bo Burnham - anxiety
Depeche Mode, Andy Fletcheranxiety, depression + Dave Gahansubstance abuse/overdose
Nick Drake - depression, suicide
Echo & the Bunnymen, Ian McCulloch - OCD
Roky Erickson - schizophrenia
Go-Gos, Jane Wiedlin-bipolar, attempted suicide
Josh Homme - depression
Daniel Johnston - bipolar, schizophrenia
Joy Division, Ian Curtisepilepsy, depression
Kaiser Chiefs, Ricky Wilsonanxiety, substance abuse
Mark Lanegan - depression, substance abuse
Amos Lee - agoraphobia, anxiety
Liars, Angus Andrew - anxiety
Manic Street Preachers, Richey Edwards - depression [alcoholic anorexic self-harm]
Aimee Mann - anxiety, depression, PTSD
Modest Mouse, Jeremiah Greenbipolar
Alison Moyet - agoraphobia
My Chemical Romance, Gerard Waydepression, substance abuse + Michael Way - bipolar
Nirvana, Kurt Cobain - ADHD, bipolar/depression
Sinead O'Connor - bipolar, borderline, PTSD
Panic! At The Disco, Brendon Urie - ADHD, anxiety
Mike Patton - agoraphobia, depression, substance abuse
Ministry, Al Jourgensensubstance abuse
Placebo, Brian Molko – depression
Iggy Pop - self-harm, substance abuse, institutionalization
Radiohead, Thom Yorke - depression
Ramones, Dee Dee Ramone - bipolar, substance abuse + Joey RamoneOCD, schizophrenia
Trent Reznor - depression, social anxiety disorder
Henry Rollins – depression
Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgandepression, OCD
Elliott Smith - ADHD, depression, substance abuse
St Vincent – anxiety
Joe Strummer – depression
The Cranberries, Dolores O'Riordan – anorexia
The Cure, Lol Tolhurst – substance abuse
The Fratellis, Jon Fratellidepression
The Kinks, Ray Davies - bipolar, attempted suicide
The Replacements, Bob Stinson, bipolar + Paul Westerberganxiety, depression
The Runaways, Cherie Curie –substance abuse
Butch Walker - anxiety, depression
Weezer, Mikey Welsh - BPD, PTSD, substance abuse
Pete Wentz – bipolar
White Stripes, Meg White - anxiety
Amy Winehouse - anorexia
X-Ray Spex, Poly Styrene - bipolar
XTC, Andy Partridge – OCD
Bob Mould of Husker Du/Sugar seems exceptionally zen (arcade, har har)
Nick Cave, a survivor of grief & rehab, doesn't speak of mental
health but seems a compassionate spirit
Speculative/Unconfirmed:
Badfinger, Pete Ham - unspecified, suicide
Jarvis Cocker - unspecified
Echo & the Bunnymen, Pete de Freitas – unspecified
Elvis Costello - unspecified, substance abuse
Exene - references to depression & mental health issues
Kathleen Hannah – references to depression, PTSD
PJ Harvey - references to "breakdown," depression, ED
Jane's Addiction, Perry Ferrell –unspecified, substance abuse
John Lennon – unconfirmed depression
Courtney Love – unconfirmed
John McGeoch [Magazine, Siouxsie, PIL] – unspecified, substance abuse
Peter Murphy - substance abuse
Lou Reed – unconfirmed anxiety, depression, substance abuse
Ween, Dean Ween - unspecified
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O –unconfirmed reference to ADHD, anxiety, panic attacks
Suicides:
Chester Bennington (Stone Temple Pilots & Linkin Park)
Kurt Cobain
Chris Cornell (Soundgarden)
Darby Crash (The Germs)
Ian Curtis
Michael Hutchence (INXS)
Tommy Marth (The Killers)
Wendy O. Williams (Plasmatics)
None of this takes into account neurological issues such as ADHD, autism (Craig Nicholas, The Vines, Ron Mael, Sparks) or Tourette Syndrome (Lewis Capaldi, Billie Eilish.)
HI HOW ARE YOU
Note: This was an extremely difficult article to write, as Granny lives with official diagnoses ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD, & PTSD. She participates in the NAMIWalk annually each spring in Oklahoma City.
https://www.namiwalks.org/index.cfm?fuseaction =cms.home