Lewis Capaldi has said he would be forced to give up music if his mental health worsened.
The Someone You Loved singer has said his struggles with his mental health were a “direct symptom” of his job.
While he told Rebecca Judd on her Apple Music show that “a few panic attacks” and his Tourettes diagnosis was worth the trade-off for the life of a pop star, he said he would give it up if it meant he was in a position where he could not perform live.
“I think on this album in particular I talk a bit more about my mental health, which has taken a beating over the last little while,” he said.
“I’m managing it better now but I think in 2020 I was kind of glad when we got put in lockdown because I had done my first arena tour in the UK, and we had just done an Australia and Asia tour before that, and I was in a bad way where I was just having panic attacks every single day on stage and I was just shy.
“I still haven’t quite got there, but it’s interesting that this thing that you love to do and you’ve always wanted to do becomes something that causes you such distress, but such is the modern world.”
The Scottish singer-songwriter, who released his second album on Friday titled Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, continued: “If I did another album and my head was scrambled and I felt horrible, right now I’m at a point where I can balance my mental health and how I feel in general. Not even just mental health, but the trade-off is worth it.
“I’ll take a few panic attacks and my Tourettes and stuff for what’s happening, but if it gets to the point where things get worse mentally and I stop kind of looking after myself in that regard, I think that would be a point where I’d be like, ‘I’m just not going to do this anymore’.”
The star added: “The main reason I got into music was to play live and if I’m struggling to do that ever, I think that’s where I’m in trouble, because otherwise that’s the payoff, that’s the point of doing it.
“At that point, if it felt like it was becoming something that I was not into or was causing me stress or I hated (it), then that’s when I would probably pack it in.”
Lewis also shared the advice he received from Ed Sheeran, who co-wrote his number one track Pointless.
“(His advice) was more about songs and writing the best songs you can and everything else is not really important,” he said.
“He was very supportive in terms of if I had questions about having an upbeat song or having a slow song or what single to put out, or blah, blah, blah, blah, he was there as a sort of sounding board.
“He never really told me what to do, which I kind of appreciated as well, but he was a good suggestion box.”
He also joked: “I think in hand-to-hand combat, I could whip his ass. But in terms of on the charts, he’s definitely top.”
Listen to the full interview on The Rebecca Judd Show on Apple Music 1 on Tuesday May 23.
Help and support:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.