May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Phoenix-area band members are speaking up about their personal struggles with mental health, it’s role in inspiring their art and how music that addresses mental illness can impact listeners for the better.
Silence the Voice is a metalcore band based in Phoenix who’s most recent single “Crysis” is dedicated to the loved ones of those who have died by suicide.
Lead guitarist for Silence the Voice Mario Gaspar said he thinks music can be a powerful way to reach people struggling with mental illness, and maybe even help save lives.
“A lot of people that need help never reach out for help,” said Gaspar. “But when they hear other artists or bands speak up about that, it inspires them to get help.”
Gaspar knows from personal experience the power of music. It was what motivated him to finally address his own struggles with mental health.
“I never wanted to speak up about my troubles, but I heard other bands like Pierce the Veil who spoke about things like that,” Gaspar said. “It made me want to someday write music that spoke to people.”
Suicide rates in Arizona have been trending upward in the last decade, conforming to national trends. A 2019 study from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention found that suicide was the second leading cause of death for Arizonans between the ages of 10-34 and the eighth leading cause of death in the state overall.
Downtown Phoenix band Eight of Nine is another band with music in their discography that touches on mental health.
“A lot of the time, people will put all their hope and faith in something or someone and when that someone or something is gone, it can be devastating and triggering,” said Eight of Nine frontman Jake Hatcher.
“Are You In There?” is a song released as part of Eight of Nine’s 2018 album “Cover Me Up,” and reflects the idea that recovery isn’t always linear.
“It’s about thinking you’re making progress and getting better, but the setbacks come and you end up just feeling the same,” Hatcher said. “That’s where lines like ‘The ghost of you is all I have / When I lost you, I lost it all’ come into play.”
Hatcher also feels that being transparent with listeners lyrically can appeal to people struggling with mental health issues.
“I think the more open and honest you are with your lyrics, the more people can relate and connect with them,” Hatcher said.
While getting help can be hard for some musicians, music has proven to be a safe ground.
Studies found that listening to music that deals with heavier topics like suicide and depression may have positive effects on listeners’ mental health, according to Neuroscience News.
Deven Pile, the drummer for the Phoenix pop-punk band Divided Minds attested to the power music has to make listeners feel connected and less isolated.
“It’s very easy to feel lonely and like you’re the only person feeling the way you do,” said Pile. “Having music there to tell you it’s OK and that you aren’t alone is a very positive thing.”
Divided Mind’s song “Life’s Overrated,” released in their 2018 EP “Mood Swings” best exemplifies this idea, said Pile, which was written to vent negative emotions he and his bandmates felt at the time and to build a sense of community around the topic of mental health awareness.
“Music has always been a big part of my life and has helped me in many ways so I feel like it’s important to return the favor in a way,” Pile said.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 anytime day or night.
Contact the reporter at asgalla1@asu.edu.
