Passion Pit singer Michael Angelakos opens up about mental health for artists
“I cannot continue to operate in this industry, due to the way that it treats people that work for it or create within it”
It's no question that mental health in the music industry has become an increasingly buzzing topic with statistics like musicians being three times more susceptible to mental illnesses and artists like Sasha and Ben Pearce opening up about anxiety and depression.
The latest advocate is Passion Pit's frontman Michael Angelakos, who took to the band's official Twitter last night to unload more than a few poignant personal thoughts about how artists in the music industry are not properly equipped to deal with mental illnesses, citing his own experiences with bipolar disorder.
Though initially, many took Angelakos' Tweets as a resignation from music, the singer has since confirmed that he and the rest of Passion Pit will continue to make music. He instead plans to step away from being a "commercialized artist" and other related demands as an artist.
Angelakos has been a vocal advocate for mental health since opening up about his own battles with bipolar disorder in 2012. Last year, he launched the Wishart Group to provide artists with health care, education and legal services. Earlier this year, Passion Pit gave away their 'Tremendous Sea of Love' album for free to those who supported the ongoing '#weneedscience' campaign focused on research of mental health.