The Music Industry Manual will hear from experts on the mental toll that comes with overwhelming touring schedules.
Nile Rodgers and Philip Selway of Radiohead are among the contributors to the upcoming book Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual. The 600-page book was written by psychotherapist and former talent booker Tamsin Embleton, and collects insights from therapists, artists, and other experts around the psychological difficulties that come when musicians embark on an “overwhelming” tour schedule.
In addition to Rodgers and Selway, the mental health and touring manual will hear from fellow musicians like electronic producer Four Tet, and The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins. Embleton is set to explore the range of mental health implications that arise on tour, with specific focus on the onset of addiction issues and the interpersonal dynamics between touring bandmates.
Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual is set to hit bookshelves on March 23, with pre-order access available here. Alongside its music contributors, Embleton will interview a host of industry figures, including the tour managers and executives for acts like The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac. Speaking of the mannual, Radiohead drummer Selway said he “wish[es] this book had been around when I first started touring”.
“It should be the first thing we all pack when we head out on the road”, he added. Marty Hom, who manages the tours of musicians like Shakira and Beyoncé, said that The Music Industry Manual is “like having a therapist in your back pocket.” The musical contributions to the book add to a long line of artists who’ve spoken on the mental toll of touring in recent years.
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Australian acts like Gang of Youths and The Amity Affliction were among those to cancel or postpone tour runs last year to prioritise their mental health, with the former band’s frontman Dave Le’aupepe saying at the time that he “needs to unf*ck my shit and get my body, voice, and mind in better working order.” Wet Leg, Disclosure, Justin Beiber and Arlo Parks had similarly halted their touring schedules for the sake of their mental health in 2022.
— Arlo Parks (@arloparks) September 16, 2022
Over the years prior, Florence and The Machine, Zayn Malik of One Direction, Santigold and Denzel Curry have likewise cited, or spoken on, the mental health implications of being a touring artist.
