Mental Health Interview - Joe Aslett

What made you decide to host this important gig at Jacobs Ladder?
I set up the gig for Scott in memory of Scott Hutchison, the singer of one of my favourite bands, Frightened Rabbit. Sadly, Scott committed suicide in May last year, just months after doing an interview for NME about how important it is to seek help and talk about your problems. I wasdevastated by this as Scott’s music has had a big impact on my life both personally and creatively. Thefact that Scott talked so often about the importance of seeking help and breaking the stigma around mental health, made his passing more heart breaking. For me, it showed how far we still must go in tackling the problem of the stigma around mental health and inspired me to try and make some positive changes. The idea of Scott still being able to have a positive impact on people’s lives even after his death helped me to come to terms with his passing. Hopefully, the gig and the money that we have raised has helped other people come to terms with some of their own personal demons.
Do you think we are doing enough to raise awareness about this topic in the local music scene and at university?
I think that our little scene is becoming increasingly aware of the problems surrounding mental health and it is encouraging to see so many artists and events trying to make a difference. There is also a list of local artists that incorporate themes of mental health in their music such as FARE, BAGGS, Luke Moss and many more. There have also been several charity events, such as the Art 2 Festival at Jacobs Ladder, their aim is to raise awareness and money in attempt to tackle this problem. I think at its core; all music comes from a place of emotion and it does not have to be explicitly about mental health for it to have a positive impact upon people. For many people, myself included, going to a gig and listening/playing live music can act as an important release of tension and stress. We still have a long way to go but we are headed in the right direction.
Has mental health impacted your creativity in any way?
I have been fortunate in that I have never had any particularly serious struggles with my own mental health. I have however, seen a few of my closest friends go through some really bad times and in helping them, I have learnt a lot about how suffering from mental health can affect people’s lives. Some of these experiences motivate me while I am playing and reminds me of the importance of making and playing music that tackles such important issues.