While the stigma around mental health is finally starting to fade, it’s will always be a subject which requires our attention. It’s no secret that many great artists have, and still do, suffer from mental health issues.
Today marks #WorldMentalHealthDay so let’s delve into five tracks which see artists wear their hearts on their sleeves and attempt to exorcise their inner demons.
PEACE – ‘From Under Liquid Glass‘
Last year Birmingham band, PEACE, unveiled a new track entitled ‘From Under Liquid Glass‘. The song arrived in conjunction with MQ Mental Health and saw the frontman opening up about his struggles with mental illness. “I wrote the song during my most difficult spring in a long time”, Harrison Koisser explains of the track. Watch the beautiful visuals for ‘From Under Liquid Glass‘ below.
Frightened Rabbit – ‘The Modern Leper‘
The death of Frightened Rabbit‘s frontman Scott Hutchison shook the music industry earlier this year. The news of his suicide was met by many broken hearts and brought the subject of mental illness back to the forefront hitting home how serious of a problem it is. ‘The Modern Leper‘ arguably confronts the feelings of not being worthy of love. Watch Hutchison perform the track live below.
IDLES – ‘Samaritans‘
Five-piece British punk outfit IDLES recently released their new album, Joy As An Act Of Resistance. The record included a searing takedown of toxic masculinity, ‘Samaritans‘, which sees frontman Joe Talbot attack gender stereotypes and all of the expectations forced on him as a young boy. “man up”, “sit down”, “socks up”, “don’t cry”; “Grow some balls, you said, grow some balls”.
The Smiths – ‘Asleep‘
‘Asleep‘ by The Smiths is a heartbreaking piano led anthem which sees Morrissey begging to be serenaded into sleep. The track was written following the death of his friend and addresses the notion of an afterlife in “another world“. The song itself acts as a type of dreamy lullaby focussing on the theme of suicide.
Joy Division – ‘She’s Lost Control‘
In 1978 Joy Division first performed their eerie dark song, ‘She’s Lost Control‘. It appeared on their album, Unknown Pleasures, and includes harrowing lyrics about a woman’s physical (or mental) collapse. It’s said that the song is based on a young women frontman Ian Curtis met during his time working in Manchester who suffered from seizures and eventually passed.
