Notable artists and mental health advocates will band together in a free virtual broadcast on Thursday, March 25 at 8 p.m. ET to shine a light on the music industry’s mental health crisis. The “Lost Tapes Live” broadcast, produced by Lemmon Entertainment and recorded at Toronto-based studio The HUB, will be hosted by Canadian music journalist Alan Cross and will feature renowned guitarist Dan Kanter (Justin Bieber, Julia Michaels, Ariana Grande), JUNO-nominated pop-rock artist Fefe Dobson, country star Madeline Merlo and more, providing an in-depth look at the complex relationship between talent, fame and tragedy through interviews with music industry professionals and mental health experts, testimonials and live performances. The event will be free to view but registration is required. For the full lineup, more information and to register, visit www.losttapeslive.com.
The virtual broadcast is part of a campaign launched in February by Over The Bridge, a Canadian nonprofit that aims to change the conversation about mental health in the music community. The Lost Tapes of the 27 Club campaign used artificial intelligence to create an album of new music that the 27 Club (a list of musicians who died at just 27 years old) “never got the chance to create,” including Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix.
“Musicians are disproportionately affected by mental health struggles as seen by the suicide rates amongst musicians being twice that of the general population,” said Ace Piva, addiction recovery coach and executive director of Over The Bridge. “And with COVID shutting down venues and risking the very livelihoods of so many in our community, the situation is worse than it’s ever been.”
“To say that the music industry members have been struggling with mental health would be an understatement,” says Kanter. “This year has been especially challenging for those working in the music and entertainment industry, meaning conversations about this are needed more than ever. I’m thrilled to support such a unique campaign and an organization that’s trying to change the way musicians look at mental wellness.”
Along with performances of Lost Tapes of the 27 Club music, viewers of the March 25 “Lost Tapes Live” event can expect to hear original music, learn about the unique challenges of maintaining mental wellness in the music industry, and also have a chance to win one of two prize packs which include tickets to live events and a guitar from Michael Wekerle’s (Dragons’ Den) personal art collection.
Join the conversation on social media and follow along with #losttapeslive and #losttapesofthe27club, and interact live during the event on Instagram at @lemmonent.
