Paris: British singer-songwriter Frank Turner has had a long and hugely successful career as a punk-folk artist.
Despite selling over a million albums and title slots in several countries, including London's Wembley Stadium, Turner, 40, has been open about his mental health struggles and problems with alcohol and drug addiction.
He recently tackled this topic with the single "Haven't Been Doing So Well", and spoke to AFP about the psychological challenges facing musicians, especially in the age of social media.
Q: What advice would you give to a young musician starting a mental health business?
TURNER: I guess I'd say it's something to note. People who make music, or who are more broadly creative, have more problems with mental health on average (though I'm not sure how causality plays out here), so it's good to be prepared.
Being in the industry, especially if you're lucky enough to be successful, brings a lot of attention, pressure, judgment, and criticism, and it's a good idea to prepare yourself for it (as much as you can - anything. Not quite like it though!)
And finally, avoid social media as much as possible. Of course it's a tool you'll need to get used to, but it's better served as a broadcast medium rather than a conversation. It all seems designed to spoil your mental health to me. So at least you should set clear boundaries around it.
Q: Can you give us an example of a time that served as a wake-up call for you?
TURNER: My own mental health issues had long been wrapped up in addiction and substance abuse. I had very few moments there that should have been wake-up calls: not going to bed for days on end for tours or shows, out of my mind, and then playing badly. Biggest sin!
I also had a moment around the release of my 2019 album "No Man's Land," where the pile-up on social media became so intense that I seriously debated debating — the benefits weren't worth the cost. But then you stop watching it all the time and you realize it's not really real. That was a big moment of realization for me.
Q: What support would you like to receive from industry or governments?
TURNER: I think broadly this is an issue that's coming to mind in industry, for government, and in society at large. Certainly things have improved a lot since I started in the industry.
But of course that's not to say that the problem is solved! There are some mental health groups in the UK like Help Musicians that do great, if currently under-funded, jobs. The powers that be in the industry are starting to wake up to the idea that if your actors are sick and incompetent, no one will win. But there is a way to go, for sure.