folk artist alec benjamin has given his all to music over the last decade on his way to commercial success. The Arizona native got his start in the industry by promoting his music in the parking lots of popular concert venues, but he made his mainstream debut in the late 2010s. In 2019, the singer-songwriter teamed up with alessia face for the multi-platinum single “Let Me Down Slowly,” which charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Earlier this year, Benjamin released his highly anticipated second album, (Un)commentwhich features introspective tracks like “Devil Doesn’t Bargain”, “Hill I Will Die On” and “Hypocrite”.
Benjamin is no stranger to vulnerability in his music and prefers to let his state of mind dictate the type of songs he creates. The first song on his debut album, “Mind is a Prison”, was recorded at one of the lowest points in his life. On the latest episode of Sound Mind from unmaskedspoke about her journey with mental health and overcoming the challenges that come with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). unmasked was created to de-stigmatize conversations around mental health and highlight SoundMind’s free mental health resources available to everyone.
As you recalled, Benjamin has trouble prioritizing tasks and sticking with the past. “One of the ways that I deal with it is to discover the ways that it has a positive influence on my life as well,” he explained. “The reason I got into music is because I became obsessed with music, learning to play guitar and writing songs.”
In another part of the interview, he credited therapy for the positive change in his mental health, arguing that more people can benefit from having conversations about how they feel. She told Billboard: “For me, mental health and physical health are synonymous. It is important to continue to have an open dialogue about mental health so that we can remove the stigma that surrounds it and understand it more clearly.”
Music is a form of therapy for artists and fans alike, so it’s vital that artists like Benjamin continue to be open and expressive about their mental health journeys. Watch Alec Benjamin’s episode of unmasked and stay tuned for more to come Healthy mind.
This content was created in collaboration with Sound Mind.
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