The first guests of the Hi how are you? Podcast includes members of Black Pumas and Surfaces
a new podcast paying tribute to the late outsider musician Daniel Johnson will feature conversations about mental health with musicians performing at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Hi how are you? Podcast released today on Spotify and on the website of the hello how are you project with an episode starring Adrián Quesada from Black Pumas and another starring both the duo Surfaces and members of the flash-mob group Bob’s Dance Shop. The episodes include music by Johnston.
Future episodes will feature Charlie Crockett, Toosii, Gina Chavez, Mother Mother, TikToker Jessie Murph, Dayglow, and many others. New episodes will premiere on Tuesdays and Thursdays through mid-October.
The program is hosted by students from the University of Texas at Austin, while clinical advisors from the American Psychological Association and the Texas Psychological Association provide additional commentary. Dr. Sonia Krishna of the Hello Project, How are you?, a member of its board of directors, also shares ideas. The goal of the nonprofit foundation is to open conversations about mental health free of stigma.
“These are not clinical chats, and we were not looking for answers or cures,” Tom Gimbel, CEO and co-founder of the Hi, How Are You Project, said in a statement. “We were looking for new ways to tell stories about the journeys and challenges of people’s lives and make others feel connected instead of isolated.”
Johnston died of natural causes in 2019 after years of battling mental health. “Although he struggled with mental health issues for much of his adult life, Daniel triumphed over his illness through his prolific production of art and songs,” his family said in a statement at the time. “He inspired countless fans, artists and songwriters with his message that no matter how dark the day, ‘the sun shines on me’ and ‘true love will find you in the end.'”
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