Music

James Bay hopes Aviciis death will encourage more artists to talk about mental health

James Bay hopes Avicii's death will encourage more artists to talk about mental health
(Picture: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for KROQ)

James Bay has said he feels things might have been different for Avicii had he been able to talk more.

The DJ tragically took his life on 20 April this year, after struggling with drink and drugs problems and battling with the pressures of fame.

Several other artists have come forward to say they felt Avicii lacked the support he needed, with Gabrielle suggesting he was surrounded by the wrong people.

Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, James Bay said that he felt Avicii didnt get to talk about his mental health issues.

I dont know what it was like to be Avicii and whether he felt he could talk as much as he needed to, he said. Or whether he wanted to.

I didnt know him so I cant speak for what his reality was. Its painfully sad what happened.

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He added that he hoped Aviciis death would encourage others to talk more: I hope more and more people in a difficult situation that people were saying he was in can find a away to talk and find a way to express how theyre feeling. And try and get more help if they need it and prevent.

NEW YORK - JUNE 17: DJ Avicii spins at Marquee on June 17, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Avicii says artists need to talk more about mental health issues (Picture: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

James confessed hes felt pressure himself, particularly when it comes to the expectations of social media followers – which he said isnt exclusive to artists.

Social Media is a massive pressure in the world, he said. Artists live in the limelight a lot of the time, a world of celebrity, theres a lot of public expectations of people and that needs a lot of work.

And thats the same for all human beings. Social media creates a lot of pressure for everybody, celebrity or not.

It can be a real problem for kids in schools, theres obviously cyber bullying, he continued. That can happen in all capacities. So social media is a pretty scary thing. The weird thing for people like me is its a shop window. Its a marketing tool.

James Bay in concert at Electric Brixton in London, UK - 15 Mar 2018
James says he feels the pressure too but that hes OK (Picture: Richard Isaac/REX/Shutterstock)

These things can be addictive as well. Its a tough subject. The ethos should be everything in moderation. Its a mad place.

Avicii previously admitted in a documentary that he had become shy and wanted to retire away from the limelight, so he used drink and drugs to manage his anxiety.

When asked if hed faced the same kind of pressures as Avicii, James said in comparison he is OK.

All sorts of scenarios present themselves, he told us. I can say Im OK at this point, I can speak for myself and say Im OK. I live as clean as I can and as healthy as I can because touring is a rigorous life and you need to stay fit and healthy to carry it out.

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James Bays album Electric Light is out now.

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MORE: James Bay is back with a progressive new sound, but dont call it a comeback

MORE: Pete Tong on Aviciis tragic death: We werent supposed to die chasing the dream

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