FEATURE:
Time Out of Mind
IN THIS PHOTO: Rapper Kendrick Lamar has spoken previously about his experiences with depression and mental health struggles/PHOTO CREDIT: Ellis Parrinder/Camara Press/Redux
Discussing the Mental Health of Male Musicians
_________
I have used this title before…
IN THIS PHOTO: Artist YUNGBLUD has discussed his mental health in the past. The track, god save me, but don’t drown me out, addresses his struggles and fears/PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Pallant
for a couple of other features, but as Steely Dan’s Time Out of Mind (from 1980’s Gaucho) seems appropriate here, I am using it again. I have been inspired by a book by journalist, author and legend Caitlin Moran. What About Men? is released in on 6th July. If you are not familiar with Moran’s work, I think that you will not want to miss out on her upcoming book. It seems like it is must-read. It asks some very important questions. At a time when toxic masculinity rages, and men’s mental health is not often explored widely and put in focus, this book looks to a brighter (hopefully) future:
“For the past ten years, whenever Moran has been doing an event, or an interview – talking about women, and girls – at some point, someone will have asked, ‘But, Caitlin – what about men?’
And at first, like an idiot, she was like, ‘Whevs. They’re fine. Dude, I’m all about Team Tits.’
But now – after decades of rising male unhappiness, mental illness, loneliness, academic failure, and the online radicalisation of young men – plus modern mens’ trousers becoming so tight, they look like leggings – Moran has realised: yes. There is a problem here.
No, this isn’t ‘a feminist trick’. We’re genuinely really worried about you. After all, the cause of unhappy girls, wives and mothers is, all too often, unhappy boys, and men.
And there are some things that womankind has learned along the way – being gloriously honest about your fears and problems, making jokes about them, and then having a jolly good go at changing the world – that feels kind of useful right now. 2023 is when we really do need to ask the question, ‘What about men?’
Come and join the start of a new, urgent, but also often amusing conversation – and bring your husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, nephews, boyfriends and best friends with you.
Porn, violence, Star Wars, fatherhood, sex, banter, Andrew Tate, Jordan B Peterson’s lobsters, and what’s actually good about masculinity: we’ll discuss it all.
We’re better together”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Caitlin Moran, photographed in Mallorca, Spain/PHOTO CREDIT: Vicens Gimenez
A lot of my features are about women and equality. Whether it is a festival line-up shunning female artists, or I am discussing the fact that the best albums of the year have been released by women, it is a subject that is very dear to my hear. It is important to keep talking about the amazing (and often underrated) work of women, but also focus on some of the more troubling and darker facts. Unfortunately, some of my recent features have revolved around sexual assault and harassment. In an industry where so many women have been subject to sexual harassment and assault, it is obvious that more needs to be done. I do hope that the industry does something. So many women feeling unheard and vulnerable. I know Caitlin Moran’s book will talk more about men’s mental health in general and the conversations around that, but it has got me thinking about the way I discuss and frame men on my blog. I would consider myself to be a feminist writer, and it is so important that as much discussion as possible happens when it comes to the discrimination and inequality through the industry. Although it applies to a small percentage of men, I am always disgusted, exhausted and angry when reading the statistic of sexual abuse and harassment. I also get enraged hearing stories about women being bullied and abused online. Whether it is threatening language or explicit threats, there is sexism, misogyny and this unwavering toxic masculinity.
Men’s mental health is one of multiple questions and topics that are discussed (“So, what about men? Why do they only go to the doctor if their wife or girlfriend makes them? Why do they never discuss their penises with each other - but make endless jokes about their balls? What is porn doing for young men? Is their fondness for super-skinny jeans leading to an epidemic of bad mental health? Are men allowed to be sad? Are men allowed to lose? Have Men's Rights Activists confused 'power' with 'empowerment'? And is Jordan B Peterson just your mum - but with some mad theory about a lobster?). Whilst I will never defend men who are culpable of sexual abuse, threats and misogyny, I have not really discussed male musicians and their mental health and challenges that face them. There is another feature due when it comes to the darker side of music and how to make women feel safer. It is a topic that is never far from my mind. More and more, we are reading statistics about male mental health. The statistics around mental health in men is shocking:
“Why Men Don't Talk About Their Mental Health
To the cohort of men who don't talk about their mental health, we asked what the underlying reasons were:
‘I’ve learnt to deal with it’ (40%)
‘I don’t wish to be a burden to anyone’ (36%)
‘I’m too embarrassed’ (29%)
‘There’s negative stigma around this type of thing’ (20%)
‘I don’t want to admit I need support’ (17%)
‘I don’t want to appear weak’ (16%)
‘I have no one to talk to’ (14%)
Even when related to medical professionals like their GP, many men don't feel like they can raise the issue of mental health. Almost one quarter (22%) of respondents said they would not feel comfortable speaking to their GP or any other professional about their mental health. The main reason given was that they worry it would be a waste of their GP’s time. Given that suicides are so high amongst men (77% of all suicides are committed by men), it serves to highlight the damage that can be caused when men feel like they can't reach out for support.
PHOTO CREDIT: Inzmam Khan via Pexels
The results show that work still needs to be done to lift the stigma that surrounds mental health. Dr Natasha Bijlani, a Consultant Psychiatrist at Priory Hospital Roehampton, puts it down to the outdated idea of what it means to be a man:
“Traditionally, men have been less likely to seek support for mental health issues. This is probably for a number of reasons including stigma and the traditional ‘strong male’ stereotype still prevalent in our society – the idea that expressing emotion is a sign of weakness."
The Biggest Issues Affecting Men's Mental Healt
77% of men polled said they experienced some level of symptoms for common mental health problems such as anxiety, stress or depression.
But what underlying factors are driving those symptoms? Respondents were asked about the biggest causes of pressure in their life - pressures that might negatively impact their mental health.
The top three issues are:
Work-related pressure - 32%
Financial pressures at - 31%
Health concerns - 23%.
The seasonal pressure of Christmas was also mentioned as a factor, especially among older men aged 35-44. The cost of the festive season means Christmas and mental health don't always match up as harmoniously as we believe - especially for those with young children or bigger families”.
Of course, we can look at the music industry and know, from seeing those statistic above, that there is a whole group of people that we need to spotlight. I keep coming back to Caitlin Moran’s book, where she asks questions that perhaps have not been asked before. I am not going to write about toxic masculinity of a poisonous side of music when it comes to men. It is impossible to defend or rationalise any of that behaviour. Instead, I have been inspired by her opening up debate and doing something she has not done before. More used to writing from a woman’s perspective and speaking from a female perspective, What About Men? is looking at the challenges afflicted men and the idea of modern manhood. Why men feel the need to win all of the time; whether there is still taboo around discussions around unhappiness and anxiety. It has been a catalyst for me, for at least one feature, to have a more sympathetic approach to men in the industry. To be fair, I have never had any issues withy artists (unless they make the news for the wrong reasons), but I have never really thought about their struggles and realities. As someone who struggles with various mental health issues, I can only imagine how hard it is for men to carry that whilst trying to maintain a career in such a competitive industry. I know female artists, of course, have mental-health struggles. The reason I am focusing on men is because they often find it harder to discuss that side of things. The media also does not often look at mental health in male artists and opening up the conversation.
I have read a few recent stories where some high-profile male musicians have talked about their mental health. It can often be hard to do so because, when they are being interviewed, it is always about the music. There are very few forums where we get to hear about what it is like for men in the industry – and the effect a busy career has on their mental wellbeing. You can apply this to all artists but, as Ed Sheeran recently revealed in an interview that he felt embarrassed about discussing his mental health, you do have to ask questions. Is there still a stigma around men talking freely and honestly about depression and anxiety? It is something that impacts so many in the industry, but is there much consideration given when it comes to touring, promotion and care? I do feel like there is so much pressure on their shoulders, that many would rather try and grin and bear it. If artists like Tom Grennan have talked about mental health struggles and challenges in the past, I do wonder if there is enough being done in the music industry to create a dialogue and do more to safeguard male artists. This should be extended to all genders, but there does seem to be a sense of stigma still applied to men when it comes to how they process struggles. With increased touring demands – because artists are not making money from streaming -, the exhaustion of travel, putting on a smile in interviews and on stage, coupled with financial struggles and very long days, there is a fear that we could see so much burn-out, careers being ended, or something even more disturbing.
In the past, there have been articles and occasions when men have talked about their mental health. Movember (or Men's Mental Health Awareness Month) happens in November. Last year, an article came out that spotlighted the male artists who were putting their struggles in the spotlight:
“Many male musicians had spoken up about their struggles or shown support for others during the Men’s Mental Health month of November.
Dave, a rapper from South London and Yungblud, an alternative indie singer from Doncaster, Yorkshire, not only used their social media platforms to speak on it but used their music to further speak about their own mental health struggles.
Dave’s debut album PsychoDrama was created following therapy sessions he attended discussing his mental health. In the album, he touches on his mental health, his strained relationships, and his feeling toward his brother who was convicted of murder in 2010 and is serving a life sentence.
Yungblud used his art and social media to advocate not for his own diagnosis but for other less spoken about mental health struggles.
Youngblud’s song “God Save Me, But Don’t Drown Me Out” is about struggling with depression. During an earlier interview with NME, Yungblud said he struggled with his mental health and more so when people were “not understanding what you’re going through”.
If documentaries like Man Down have provided this platform for men in music to freely explore mental health issues, how often has the conversation been reintroduced? You get the odd article or interview where an artist has discussed their mental-health, but I still feel there are many in the industry unwilling to share or fearful of speaking out. In terms of how that will affect their career. They might feel exposed or like they are on their own. Musicians who do speak out about their mental health are to be commended, but it is not a common thing. I feel, especially over the past couple of years, there has been a rise in mental health problems among male artists. The fact some mainstream artists have revealed their struggles with give inspiration and strength for others to do likewise, but what is done when these interviews come out? For those artists who do open up, what happens next? It seems like they just go back into the thick of things and there is not enough being done. Songs from big artists like Kendrick Lamar are proof that mental-health problems can affect any man in the industry. Apart from the odd documentary and interview, I don’t know what is being done. It might be impossible for the industry and labels to give their artists too much time off or reduce their workloads. Of course, we must also do more in this sense to protect women and non-binary artists. They have the same mental health struggles, together with problems that most men do not experience (sexual harassment and misogyny for example).
After reading articles and interviews where male artists were bravely opening up about their struggles, I do think that the conversation needs to widen. There are wonderful charities and organisations that provide support for musicians. As this 2020 piece reveals, the number of Indie male artists who report mental health issues is shockingly high. Less likely to seek support or talk about their issues, there is definitely cause for the industry to take this on board. Something that can then be rolled out to all artists, I do worry that we could lose some musicians because of the pressures put onto them. Those speaking out do help, but I think a lot of male artists stay silent and just carry on regardless. This can then lead to exhaustion or depression. I opened by saying that Caitlin Moran’s new book, What About Men?, inspired me for a number of reasons. I have discussed men in a negative context in a lot of features. It is justified given the circumstances and context but, when thinking about male artists, I haven’t really thought too hard about these conversations that we need to have. Why are so many still not reporting their struggles? Do artists that talk about mental health issues or mention it in songs get necessary support and allowances? Does the entire industry make less demands of artists? Do we need more podcasts, shows and documentaries where the focus is on male artists’ mental health? I know that so many male artists are being impacted. That feeling that they are alone or will feel weak and judged if they talk about their problems. I hope that more support and awareness comes about regarding male artists and mental health problems, as we need to…
NORMALISE it and change the narrative.