"My parents were born in a different country, and then I was raised in the suburbs. I never had strong sense of community, but I always had this natural attraction to music, and it always provided me a lot of comfort. I didn't really consider myself a musician until I was in high school. And so I never thought about music in this very serious way, but I always subconsciously realized it was a huge part of who I am. . . I like so many different types of music that no one around me really liked, [that] my parents didn't really listen to. Music is a really important part of how I found myself and where I'm rooted in my self-love.

I'm really inspired by what [SoS is] doing and I'm really grateful to be a part in that way. Because I think about my life, and I think about music at the core of how I've formed myself. It's special to share that so other people can put some sort of validity to how powerful music can be." - June McDoom

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There is something in McDoom's soft vocal delivery that captivated us at SoS from the very first time we heard her. Her sound draws from a myriad of influences, reflecting her deep connection to dub music with quiet space between notes, but also from classic folk and indie. Her heartfelt voice whispers profound truths in a way that is uniquely her own.

"Emerald River Dance," a song that celebrates all living things and their fatal destiny. This performance appropriately felt like a duet with nature itself—birds singing, leaves rustling and vinyl strings strumming.

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"Emerald river dance with such velvety grace to the rhythm of the Earth

And every beat reveals magic pathways of light where each seeker finds rebirth

Listen to the bleating absence of sound and you will hear what is

And you will hear what is

And you will hear what is

And Nature ever favors softness like grass growing gently through cement

And softness often thrives where brutality lies, in a shroud of Death's foul scent"

"It wasn't just being rude and spitting, I found out quickly, you know what I mean? It was about really great friendships and there was people within that community that, a lot of 'em didn't make out. They were never able to outrun whatever their trauma was that kind of got them in the first place. The beauty of this hardcore scene, this community is if you ever see a show, there's the band on the stage, there's their crew, like on the side of the stage. Then there's just like photographers, extended guests all on the stage. And then the audience is like jumping on the stage, jumping off the stage. And within the audience, there's people that are like writing fanzines or booking shows, are involved in all these different things. So it's sort of like an all hands on deck.

It's like everyone has a role in this thing happening. Some people are gonna fall down and  pick them up and someone might get off and then a fight starts and it's the community's responsibility to like police that behavior too, but without assigned hierarchies, you know what I mean? And those hierarchies are very marginal. And I think that that is inspiring"  -  Walter Schreifels

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"See all your sorrow

But be happy tomorrow

From the back of my mind

I was searching and I

From the look in your face

I believe it's not too late"

“My emotional existence is one of the most important parts of being alive so I’m curious. I’m also not evasive when it comes to the highs and lows of experience. And there’s something about confronting it. Music helps me go there in a direct way that feels honest.I’m curious about experiencing things that I am maybe afraid of. In my album cover I’m free falling which is something I’ve dealt with, and dissociating with PTSD and memories, in the past two years. And with my new single ‘The Manatee’ I actually submerged myself into Lake Michigan in sub-zero degree temperature. Something about exploring my abilities in this physical realm is building up my spiritual self in a way that supersedes ego certainly, but also, I just surprise myself, and that’s kind of nice.” — Circuit Des Yeux

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"Come to my world and witness

The way things have changed

'Cause I finally did it, baby

I got out of La Grange

Got my Mercury and drove out west

Pedal to the metal and my luck to the test, baby

Sweet babyI been tryin' to enjoy

All the fruits of my labor

I been cryin' for you, boy

But truth is my savior

Baby, sweet baby, if it's all the same

Take the glory any day over the fame, baby"

"Music has always been my personal refuge and escape, and I find that everyone, for the most part feels the same way about music. There's always a song that you can put on when you're feeling down, when you need an upper or maybe you're too excited and you need to chill out. The nostalgia of things, maybe the song that your mom was playing when you're a little kid. There's a song that my mom would play...that gives me goose bumps anytime I hear it. That is really the juice of life, the sonic memories... it has the power to change the chemicals in your brain. Like how incredible is that? I'm really grateful that we have music in the world, and even as a creator of music, it still is my medicine as well.....And I started seeing a therapist, it's been about two, three years now, and it's changed my life, and it's like a ripple effect. I've encouraged my mom to do the same, my brother to do the same, because I think that it really is a lifeline to navigate the challenges of this life.” - Melanie Charles

♪

In this video the rising New York City-based, Haitan-American artist Melanie Charles, a singer-songwriter, actress, and flutist who spans jazz, soul, gospel and experimental music.  Charles performs the song “I Wanna Thank You” by Alicia Myers and chats with us about her experiences surrounding mental health and the presence of music, basketball and community in keeping up her wellbeing.

♪

“Mental health is like a leaf. Some leaves have like a brown line. Some of them the whole leaf is turning brown. We all have different degrees of struggles, you know what I'm saying? But it's like all a beautiful plant when it comes to maintaining optimal mental health.”

“I get inspiration from both the positive and negative through meeting people. And I will mix my positive and negative feelings inside of me with that to make my art. That serves as an outlet that brings me self love. And to be able to show that art to people. All of that will bring me the joy of living.” - CHAI

We shot this gorgeous short film with the band in an abandoned decayed commercial space with no heat on a bone-chilling winter day in Chicago where the snow was piling up...even inside. We were warmed by the amazing positive energy that CHAI brings to any scene.

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"Build up your confidence

So you can be on top for once

Wake up who cares about

Little boys that talk too muchI've seen it all go down

The game of love was all rained out

So come on baby, come on over

Let me be the one to hold youI'm the one who wants to be with you

Deep inside I hope you feel it too

Waited on a line of greens and blues

Just to be the next to be with you

Why be alone when we can be together, baby?

You can make my life worthwhile

I can make you start to smile”

"I think there's a humbling process that happens when you're in some of your darkest moments. And when you're really at that rock bottom, you kind of see how small and insignificant we all are in the grand scheme of things. And then your sense of self or your sense of ego kind of dissolves. And there's kind of a lightness that comes in that relief.." -

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On Sparke's incredibly album 'Hysteria' she "examines love, loss, grief, a newly realized rage, her history, dreams, and the emotional weather patterns surrounding those sensations: her words tell the stories, and the sounds act them out. It’s a diary built for big stages".

♪

“White chalk hills are all I've known

White chalk hills will rot my bones

White chalk sticking to my shoes

White chalk playing as a child with you

White chalk stands against time

White chalk cutting down the sea at Lyme

I walk families by the Cerne

On a path cut fifteen hundred years ago

And I know

These chalk hills will rot my bones”

"The idea that you can lean on people, and you can talk about how you're feeling, you can talk about your emotional state. Your mental state is as important as a yearly physical. It should be as important as anything else in your life that you're maintaining your health on. And I don't think there's anything to be embarrassed about. I don't think there's any reason not to talk about where you're at emotionally or mentally, because the more you can lean on people and the more you can share with people, I think the better chance you have of getting where you're trying to go, which is to just be as happy and healthy and live the best life that you can live." - Jim Ward of Sparta

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"The most important thing in mental health is really talking about it. It's really hard, you know, cuz those conversations are, are almost never fun. Forming a unit and a little family, you know, especially when it feels like a lot of things are moving around and there's a lot of changing scenery and a lot of new things and new people. It's something that you kind of honestly need."  - Geese

♪

The quintet formed in high school assuming that the band would break up upon graduation.  But all changed when they released a few self produced singles and they saddled up with their manager Willy and started to receive label interest.  Soon the band would be opening  for Jack White and selling out the Bowery.  Their influences range from indie rock bands like Deerhunter to post punk artists like, Joy Division to classic rock acts like Van Morrison.  

♪

“When I was young, younger than before

I never saw the truth hanging from the door

And now I'm older, see it face to face

And now I'm older, gotta get up, clean the place

And I was green, greener than the hill

Where flowers grow and the sun shone still

Now I'm darker than the deepest sea

Just hand me down, give me a place to be

And I was strong, strong in the sun

I thought I'd see when day was done

Now I'm weaker than the palest blue

Oh, so weak in this need for you”

“You don't have to rush to talk about what you're going through. You don't have to have the words. You don't have to know. You can take your time. Try to share or try to be around people. The more we can share, as we feel comfortable in our own time, the more we can help each other to know that, yo, ‘this is possible’. The sun can come out.” - Xenia Rubinos

♪

“Hold on to the colour in your day

I will always be around

To reach your pain

Home is where

You don't have to carry all of the worry

You don't have to bury all of the memories

Hold on love

Hold on to

Each other when you can

Time will always come around

To meet you with the answers

Home is in your body

Homebody”

“I think it's incredibly important to share stories of recovery and hope. I think it should be collected and broadcast as often and frequently as we can, because you never know when someone can just tuck it away and access it at another time. The place that I am now is thankfully for me the lightest and freest I've ever felt in my life.

But I, I can't take credit for it, because unfortunately for me...it got to the point where it was untenable. There were just so many unsettled, unresolved things that I had, that just continued to be unresolved for my whole life. And especially within my adulthood and my professional career and “Temple,” which came out in May of 2020, it was the first time that I was out in my career. Which is funny because I'm in indie rock and nobody cares, but my conflict with it, the entire time was more to do with what my family wanted or didn't want as for me being out in public. And also all this internalized shame. I was such a divided person." - Thao

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“If you ever get close to a human and human behaviorBe ready, be ready to get confused and me and my here afterThere's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic to human behaviorBut yet so, yet so irresistible and me and my fear canAnd there is no map uncertain”

“There were many months, many years that were super dark, super dark times. And I always like clung to music as something that could remind me that there were other people in the world like me, that felt the way I felt and wanted things to become the way I wanted them to become. And that was honestly what got me through the darkest moments of my life. I'm 32 and things just started working.” - Bartees Strange

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“Today

You were far away

And I

Didn't ask you why

What could I say?

I was far away

You just walked away

And I just watched you”

“I was struck by the beauty of the song. I, of course, was just completely in love with the string arrangements. And when I dove deeper into looking at the lyrics, they were talking about some things that I've been thinking about deeply through the past probably two years and hit me harder than I kind of expected. The opening line of this song,  it's something that we've probably all heard before, which is that the only way out of this is through. It is the main lyric, which is something you might see on like a motivational poster or something, but re-contextualize into this deeper look at what faith and hope are. We think of these words attached to religion a lot of the time. And I think this isn't specifically talking about religious faith, religious hope. This is talking about a much broader hope and faith.” - Cassandra Jenkins

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Cassandra’s LP “An Overview on Phenomenal Nature” is one of our 2021 favorites and per Pitchfork “flows like an emotional breakthrough.” We couldn’t be more excited she made this gorgeous video with us and shared so openly about what has helped her cope, heal and deal over the last year.

♪

“The only way out of this is through

Flames are but dew

Upon my skin with youI've seen the phoenix rise

Out of our ashes

Born out

Born out of it

Born out

Born out of it”

“I think music helps us because it's the stamp of humanity as a queer person or any marginalized person. If within your own nuclear family, you're not seen for who you are, you can find someone who sees you in art.”  - Kat Cunning

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Today in honor of Pride we’re releasing our next video in partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (@800273talk) and our “Song That Found Me At The Right Time” series. This one features queer, musician and actor Kat Cunning who was in "Trinkets" and the upcoming J Lo movie “Marry Me.” Kat talks about their own mental health journey, identity and finding strength in creativity and within artists communities. They perform the song “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie.

♪

“‘I Will Follow You Into the Dark’ by Death Cab for Cutie is important to me because it saw me through my initial bouts with my own mental life, which like most very young people came with hormones and heartbreak. It also has  lyrics in it that I think were bigger than me at the time that have really stood by me. I just know how much words can do.”

“Music was the one shot that made it over the wall that told me that even if you don't speak your truth, you can sing it. I know that music has saved my life again, again and again and again, throughout the years. And it's just a community that I find that a song oftentimes is more pure than that, you know, in the world around me. I find that that's what a lot of my favorite artists do. Pick me up whatever room I'm in and they just build entire worlds for me to, you know, look in that's what I hope to do for my listeners as well." - Adia Victoria

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Today we’re releasing our next video in partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and our “Song That Found Me At The Right Time” series. This one features Adia Victoria performing the legendary song “On and On” by the great Erykah Badu.

♪

“I was looking for something that was bigger and deeper and felt more warm than the idea of a Christian God. And I dove into my imagination. And the first time I heard “on and on” it felt like Erykah Badu was waiting for me to be her there.”

"...the feeling that you're not alone is incredibly healing and incredibly empowering." - David Draiman of Disturbed

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As part of an ongoing series with National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, we’re sharing interviews with artists in an effort to reduce #stigma and encourage help-seeking for emotional crisis.♪ In this video, David Draiman, singer and frontman of Disturbed discusses the healing power of #music and #therapy, and why it's important to end the stigma surrounding #depression.

♪

Disturbed has been at the forefront of the mental health discussion in the metal and hard rock scene and popularized the phrase “A Reason to Fight” for those struggling with common human experiences such as anxiety, depression and addiction,  which are not often discussed with vulnerability especially in the hard rock world.  With their "Fighter of the Month" project, “Each month, we’ll choose a Fighter....to recognize....This is just a small way for us to show our appreciation to some of the amazing people out there."

"I've been hiking a lot and I've been trying to have more of a physical, but also mental, connection with the land that my ancestors have been stewarding since time immemorial. When I'm walking, I think about the generations that were far, far behind me and what they were doing and what they were thinking and were they singing a song? Sometimes I go out and I'll sing a song. Were they doing the same thing? That, to me, seems hopeful - like having that connection is hopeful. And  because there's so much going on with like TikTok, social media, and all of this stuff, you forget sometimes that you can just go out into the land and you can be in the water and be near the cedar trees and still have that connection to your ancestors, just being here and living and walking around and it's beautiful."  -  Black Belt Eagle Scout

♪

Today marks Mental Health Action Day which states:"In the wake of COVID-19, millions of people have uncovered new mental health conditions and millions more have had their existing challenges exacerbated. We must take action now to meet the needs of our communities and identify opportunities to build long-term resilience."

♪

Our contribution is in partnership with The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and draws attention to communities of color and specifically the Swinomish Tribal Community in which Black Belt Eagle Scout aka Katherine Paul was raised. Check out the video of KP covering the incredible Grouper tune, “Heavy Water / I'd Rather Be Sleeping”.

“I think one of the reasons why I love music as much as I do is it stops a lot of the noise that's in my brain. I had a unique experience in the fact that I am a black woman who had access to therapy from a really early age. And I'm incredibly grateful for that. Now that the conversation has opened up to have more awareness of everyone's mental health. I think it's incredibly important for black people to dive into that, especially considering the generational trauma that has been experienced in America is so deep” - Madison McFerrin

♪

Today we’re releasing the next video in our “Song That Found Me At The Right Time” series. We are thrilled for this one to be partnering with the The Loveland Foundation. Loveland brings opportunity and healing resources and initiatives to communities of color, including their Therapy Fund for Black women and girls.

♪

This video features Mexican Summer recording artist, Madison McFerrin performing the Radiohead song “Everything In It’s Right Place,” a song she says “...symbolizes  things are happening the way that they should happen, even when things don't feel like they're going your way. I do believe that things happen for a reason.”

"A lot of musicians, like myself, are sober and dealing with mental health. I think it's 85% of artists, or something, struggle with mental health. I have a link on my fridge for a suicide prevention hotline because you never know when people are going to need that. And people aren't really vocal about it, so that should be readily available at all times.“ -Alicia Bognanno of Bully ♪Today we’re releasing our next video in our “Song That Found Me At The Right Time” series. This one features singer Alicia Bognanno of the Sub Pop’s Bully performing the song “Dry” by PJ Harvey. We worked with this one in partnership with the American Association of Suicidology.  ♪"There was a point in time where I was just listening to that on repeat and I felt like it was the only thing that made me feel really good.."♪

“There’s mental illness in my family. When I was a kid it felt sorta isolating to not know that was normal and that everyone experienced things like that. I think hearing other people’s  stories and other peoples perspective about these matters helps people feel less alone and realize that their problems aren’t unique to them. And there are communities that exist that will understand where they’re coming from”  - Sean Solomon

♪

Today we release the next video from our partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and our “Song That Found Me At The Right Time” series. This one features Sean Solomon of the Sub Pop band Moaning paying homage to “Angeles” by the great Elliott Smith.  Smith’s name comes up often when we ask people about life changing or important songs, but this is our first cover.

♪

“I can make you satisfied in everything you doAll your secret wishes could right now be coming trueAnd be forever with my poison arms around you”

“It’s pretty basic, we’ve all been in moments of existence where we feel there is no hope and I feel like music is this beautiful art form that is accessible and celebrated that people, even if they don’t know they need, they need.”  - Kate Davis

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We’re excited today to share Kate Davis’ take on Daniel Johnston’s "Too Young To Die" along with an intimate chat about the importance of music in her own identity and mental well-being and as a way to get through periods of grief and hopelessness.

♪

Kate’s musical talent and storytelling are both beautiful and raw and touch on many themes of mental health while not being overtly confessional.

“The spiral of depression is something I was unfortunate enough to suffer for around 6 months in my late teens. I recall one doctor telling me to ‘snap out of it’.  You know, just watch a couple of funny movies. She told me ‘it’s just in your head’. I remember leaving that place thinking THAT’S the worst place a pain can be.” - Jamie Lidell

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Today for World Mental Health Day, we release the third video from our partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline featuring Jamie Lidell paying homage to “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) ” by the legendary Sly & the Family Stone.

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Lidell reached out to SoS about a collaboration after hearing about us through our mutual friend, SoS board member and musician Dana Wachs. As long time fans of Lidell we are extremely grateful to exclusively share his story.

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“The process of healing seems so much more possible once there’s an honesty and a feeling of understanding. I want to be a part of the healing however that might look. Music is my connection to another world and it’s definitely a force that has saved me and let me find happiness, so I’d love to try and put some healing sound out there.“

♪

The Lifeline has long shared that for every one person that dies by suicide, 280 people think seriously about it but go on to live. We want to share these untold stories. This series will focus on amplifying how artists have managed to cope and even thrive in the face of emotional crisis, with the goal of reducing stigma and encouraging help-seeking.

"It doesn’t make you a weak person for thinking about your darker times it actually makes you stronger by being vulnerable and open and sharing who you are with the people you care about." - Sharon Van Etten♪⁣Today we release the second video from our partnership  with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. With this series we aim to create a special collection of cover song and interview videos for National Suicide Prevention Month in September and beyond. ♪As long time fans of Sharon Van Etten, SoS is thrilled  to include her music and words in the debut of their Lifeline partnership through their “Song That Found Me At The Right Time” series. Sharon’s voice is hauntingly beautiful, and the idea of featuring her interpreting someone else’s song that helped her through tough moments in life highlights the SoS mission - that music and stories of hope in times of crisis are powerful and relatable. ♪The Lifeline has long shared that for every one person that dies by suicide, 280 people think seriously about it but go on to live. We want to share these untold stories. This series will focus on amplifying how artists have managed to cope and even thrive in the face of emotional crisis, with the goal of reducing stigma and encouraging help-seeking.

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“It’s important to know that [black women's] plight is real. We are not alone and it’s okay to have those feelings as a result of this plight. There are a lot of people in my family that are ashamed of our suffering and ashamed to talk about it and I think that’s hurting us. Killing us, actually.” - @keiyaa

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Today we release the first video of our partnership  with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. With this series we aim to create a special collection of cover song and interview videos for National Suicide Prevention Month in September and beyond.

♪

SoS and Lifeline initially connected with KeiyaA after hearing her 2020 album “Forever Ya Girl.” The record is the artists original spin on modern, experimental bedroom R&B, drawing from past influences but moving them progressively forward. The lyrical content especially inspired us to reach out to her. The LP candidly touches on topics of loss, desperation and ultimately liberation.

♪

The Lifeline has long shared that for every one person that dies by suicide, 280 people think seriously about it but go on to live. We want to share these untold stories. This series will focus on amplifying how artists have managed to cope and even thrive in the face of emotional crisis, with the goal of reducing stigma and encouraging help-seeking.

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about her mental health and plays a song in which her partner wrote lyrics that helped fight back.

Sasami talks about how music has helped her through the ups and downs.

Sounds of Saving, a 501c3 nonprofit fueling hope through music asks artists to tell the stories of how music and mental health care can save and improve lives.

In this video, Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio talks about the power of music and plays a song that helped him fight back.

Hello and Happy New Year!  Our first video of the 2019 is by the amazing Brooklyn based artist Vorhees.  Her debut album Tracks for Movement will be released tomorrow morning but for now you can take in her cover of Brian Eno’s classic “Golden Hours”.  A song that she loves to hear but that has helped her through many of life’s challenges.  Hear more about her joys and struggles in her own words below.  Please help us raise awareness about suicide, depression and addiction by sharing.

As you know, September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and in order to help raise awareness we are sharing the last of our three videos for the month. Shilpa Ray has been making beautifully melodic punk on the NYC scene for years.  She chose to cover a Velvet Underground tune.  Please help us raise awareness about suicide, depression and addiction by sharing.

Once again, September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and in order to help raise awareness we are sharing three new videos.  Today we release our newest by Denitia who we have been fans of since here days in denitia and sene.  Denitia chose to cover an amazing Patty Griffin song that reached her at a critical time.  Please help us raise awareness about suicide, depression and addiction by sharing.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and you can expect three new videos from the SoS crew.  The first one features L'rain who released one of our favorite albums from 2017.  L'rain is a Brooklyn based experimental band, who merges soulful vocals with odd musical loops that works perfectly.  The bands most recent LP was an ode to singer Taja Cheek's late mother, Lorraine.  She chose to cover an amazing Dirty Projectors song that reached her at a critical time.  Please help us raise awareness about suicide, depression and addiction by sharing.

Today is the official soft launch of Sounds of Saving!  Our first episode features the leader of the Brooklyn based band Prairie Empire, solo artist, and the star of Broadway's Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Brittain Ashford.   Check it out below and please help us fight suicide and depression by sharing the video and donating if you can.