We see the lights. We see the stages. We sing along with the crowd and experience the energy of a live show. But we rarely see what is actually happening behind the scenes. The music industry is experiencing a mental health crisis, and musicians, touring crew, and behind-the-scenes professionals are feeling its impact.
Tour life can look like a dream from the outside – the lights, the stages, the roaring crowds, and the opportunity to travel while doing what you love. But behind every incredible performance is a hidden cost. While the audience sees the final product of a great show, a packed venue, an unforgettable night, there is an enormous amount of work and sacrifice happening behind the scenes. There are musicians who haven’t slept in their own bed for weeks, crew members working long hours to make sure the production runs smoothly, and managers, production staff, drivers, technicians, photographers, and countless other professionals working behind the scenes to make it all possible.
The Mental Health Crisis in the Music Industry
Research from Record Union and the Tour Health Initiative has highlighted the significant mental health challenges facing people in the music industry. Approximately 73% of musicians report experiencing symptoms of mental illness, while 83% of touring professionals report symptoms of burnout. Studies show that musicians experience higher rates of anxiety, depression, addiction, and suicidal ideation compared to the general population. Long hours, constant travel, financial uncertainty, disrupted sleep, high-pressure environments, and limited access to consistent mental health care can leave them feeling overwhelmed and isolated.
On The Road: The Sacrifice Behind the Show
Touring professionals can spend days, weeks, or even months away from home. This means missing birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, holidays, school events, and everyday moments with the people they love. The moments that make life feel rich and memorable are often experienced through FaceTime calls rather than being in person.
With those absences can come a heavy weight of guilt and shame. Many touring professionals struggle with the feeling that they are letting their partners, children, friends, or families down. Even when they know they are providing for their family and pursuing a passion they deeply care about, the heartache of missing out is very real.
When Tour Ends: The Challenge of Coming Home
The challenges of tour life don’t necessarily end when the tour does. Transitioning back into home life can be surprisingly difficult. Imagine this – one day, you’re living out of a suitcase, running on momentum, purpose, adrenaline, and constant stimulation. Your body becomes accustomed to late nights, early mornings, quick turnarounds, unfamiliar environments, and always being “on.”
Then suddenly, you come home.
It’s quiet.
Your schedule slows down. There isn’t another venue to get to, another load in, another soundcheck, or another crowd waiting for you. Your brain doesn’t know how to adjust to the silence and lack of routine.
Many touring professionals experience an energy crash when they return home, while their minds continue moving at the pace of tour. Sleep can be disrupted, motivation can shift, anxiety can increase, and relationships may require time to reconnect to. One can’t simply flip a switch from tour mode to real life and expect their body and brain to instantly follow. Although coming home can be something many touring professionals look forward to, the transition back to everyday life can be much more difficult than expected.
Organizations Making Mental Health Support More Accessible
Thankfully, more and more organizations are recognizing the unique mental health needs of the music industry and working to make support more accessible.
Two organizations that are especially meaningful to me, both personally and professionally, are Backline and ECCHO Live. Organizations like these are helping to create a culture where asking for support is not only accepted, but encouraged.
Backline’s mission is to build a safer and more supportive industry by providing music industry professionals and their families with mental health and wellness resources. The organization was founded in 2019 following the devastating losses of two beloved musicians to suicide.
Most recently, Backline launched B-Line, a 24/7 mental health and crisis support line created specifically for music industry professionals. Since the music industry doesn’t operate on a traditional 9 to 5 schedule, mental health support shouldn’t either. B-Line provides a safe place for music industry professionals to turn when they need someone to talk to, regardless of the time of day or night.
ECCHO Live, originally founded in 2011 as the Touring Career Workshop, was created by industry professionals with the goal of educating and supporting colleagues working in the touring music industry. ECCHO Live recognizes that accessing mental health care can be challenging, particularly when finances are a barrier. Through their program, ECCHO Live covers the first four counseling sessions with a participating provider because they believe financial barriers should never stand in the way of receiving support.
ECCHO Live also brings mental health care directly into the spaces where music professionals work by providing free, on-site counseling at major music festivals across the country. Whether someone is struggling with life on the road, feeling overwhelmed, experiencing burnout, navigating a difficult transition, or simply needs a quiet place to pause and reset, having access to confidential support from someone who understands the industry can make a meaningful impact.
Creating Meaningful Change
Creating meaningful change in the music industry starts with recognizing that mental health is an essential part of the conversation. So the next time you’re at a concert, remember that it’s not only the artists on stage who make the experience possible. It takes teams of people working tirelessly, often behind the scenes and out of sight, to bring the music to life. They deserve more than applause. They deserve empathy, support, and access to specialized care when they need it most.
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