The conversation surrounding mental health has become more and more prevalent over the past few years, and rightfully so. In the music industry, we’ve seen artists in the past have to quietly struggle with these issues. Now, the stigma is slowly dissipating.
Some of the biggest artists in the game have come forward with their mental health journey, such as Elohim, Carl Cox, and San Holo. One of the latest to open up about their own struggles is Derek Anderson of SLANDER, who has released a vulnerable open letter to his fans in honor of his birthday, explaining the effects that COVID-19 and the lockdown have had on his psyche.
His reflection began with detailing how he went from experiencing one of the happiest moments of his life last year—his wedding—before entering into the realization that the pandemic would be halting SLANDER’s upcoming tour schedule.
This epiphany soon spiraled into an existential crisis of sorts, unsure if he would want to continue on the path he was on with his music career due to doubts about the entertainment industry. However, his perspective ultimately shifted into a more optimistic outlook.
Derek of SLANDER on mental health struggles: “Looking back on this past year I feel that I have grown 10 years mentally but only 1 year physically.”
“I realized that as long as I am giving people love and showing people that the truest purest love already lives inside them, and teaching them about self-compassion, then I am not a part of the hand of control,” Derek penned in the open letter.
He went on to share with his fans that SLANDER is now entering into one of the biggest stages of their career, with massive collaborations on the way.
You can read the statement in full below.
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Spotify: spoti.fi/34bdukw
