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Katie Melua has opened up about suffering an acute psychotic breakdown earlier in her career, attributing it to the pressures of the music industry and touring.
During an appearance on the Origins With Cush Jumbo podcast, the 40-year-old singer-songwriter explained: “I had what is called an acute psychotic breakdown and it was crazy. Suddenly that lifestyle of three flights a week, flying from Australia, Japan to America and then let’s make a new record. Let’s write new songs. Let’s find the band for it. Make sure you look good for it.
“The visuals, the styling, all of that. And then, you know, go on tour, repeat, repeat, repeat.”
Jumbo – who is an actor and writer – responded by sharing her experience of post-natal depression, “because [she] had to go back to film so quickly” after her son was born. “In many ways, it’s unsustainable,” she said.
“Yet you’ve got all these people around you, but in another way you’re in a bubble because you’re the only person going through this experience.”
Melua replied: “Well, yeah. The experience of finally going out on stage and performing… I loved my team, I loved the crew, the band, the makeup lady, the stylist, you know, everyone, you know, working for management. Yeah.”
When asked if she then took a break from her career at this point, the singer said: “Oh, I had to. I was hospitalised for six weeks.”
Melua continued: “[I] had to go on medication. I had a really great doctor looking after me, and then my family were incredible because […] from the age of 19 to 26, they kind of didn’t really see me a lot because I was just so busy with work. And then suddenly at 26, their kid who they sort of allowed to leave the nest is now back with a broken mind. [It] was a bit of a shock to them.”
She went on to say “of course it was also the music industry” that had led to her mental health issues. “The CD sales had been booming and doing well, and the 2008 crash happened and then streaming came out. So that affected the… everything completely changed.”
Melua was then asked about her recovery, and whether she had wanted to step away from music at all.
“Oh no, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to do it,” she responded. “I was afraid that, what if for whatever reason I’m not allowed to do it, or I can’t do it. I was worried about that, but thankfully that didn’t happen at all. It was my saviour.”
As for how she is looking after herself currently, Melua explained: “I think it’s all about the people you surround yourself with, and also knowing yourself and knowing what the kind of small warning signs might be. So I really treasure my sleep – so important.”
She also stressed the importance of “hydration”, “talking” and “hugging – I know, a silly example”.
“I remember one of the therapy tools that I got from hospital was like, ‘Take one day at a time’,” Melua said. “And I really like that because I think I can kind of really fantasise and go off and the future records that I’m going to make. But, no, what is in front of me today and just sort of… take one step towards that.”
She revealed that her child had helped her to keep living in the moment: “Although I do find myself like… we’ll be in the playground and he’s coming down the slide and I’m like, ‘Oh, that could be good inspiration for like a stage design’. And then I’m like, ‘Stop thinking about work, you’re here with your two-year-old son – I’ve got to be present’. So I have to always tell myself to be really in the moment.”
Melua – whose ninth and latest album ‘Love & Money’ was released in 2023 – told Jumbo that she “really want[s] to make records until the day I die, honestly”. You can listen to the podcast in full above via Spotify.
In October last year, figures from the music industry spoke to NME about the “dangerous” impact that touring can have on musicians, while offering up help and advice for World Mental Health Day.
Recent years have seen the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, Shawn Mendes, Wet Leg and The Last Dinner Party all cancel shows due to mental health issues.
The latter band said recently that “emotional, mental [and] physical burnout” had led to them axing some dates of their European tour. “Pushing ourselves past breaking point is not a fair or wise decision for anyone,” they wrote.
Editors guitarist Justin Lockey, who sat out of the group’s summer 2022 gigs because of “struggles with anxiety”, spoke to NME last year about his experience – and what he’d done since to improve his lifestyle.
“It’s so cliché but you can see why so many bands throughout the ages have turned to drink and drugs – because there’s nothing to do and that’s really available,” he said. “For anxiety and mental health, it’s an absolute crusher.”
This October, a new petition was launched – calling for a new law to safeguard the mental well-being of artists in the music industry in the wake of Liam Payne’s death aged 31.
Earlier this year, solo artist, Babyshambles drummer and psychotherapist Adam Ficek shared a report on music and mental health – telling NME that “musicians keep falling between the cracks of formal structured support systems”.
In December 2023, the Help Musicians charity reported a huge spike in usage of their mental health services over the past two years.