I realised when writing Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual that we needed to record an audiobook. Stress, exhaustion and competing demands can make sustaining attention tricky on the road. An audiobook would be a great option for neurodiverse people – like myself – who need content to be delivered in an engaging way.
Luckily, Jeremy Hindmarsh from the English alternative rock band, Swervedriver, contacted us stating that he loved the paperback. He offered to produce an audiobook, so we got to work trying to craft something suitable for the exacting ears of people who work with sound for a living. No pressure!
We wrote a script, and sifted through hundreds of hours of original audio recordings, clipping quotes to weave in from my interviews with the likes of Nile Rodgers, Philip Selway (Radiohead), Charles Thompson (Pixies), Katie Melua, Will Young, Pharoahe Monch, Justin Hawkins, Neil Barnes, Kieran Hebden, Laura Marling, Taylor Hanson, Erol Alkan, Emma Banks, Jake Berry, Dale ‘Opie’ Skjerseth, Suzi Green, Marty Hom, Tina Farris, David ‘5-1’ Norman, Wob Roberts, Nick Cua, Trevor Williams, Debbie Gayle and many more.
The finished product sounds more like a podcast than an audiobook, thanks to Nick Cave reading his epigraph; Rob da Bank leading meditation exercises and Edward Butler’s music. It was recorded by Gina Merrills, edited by the team at Soho Voices and narrated by the brilliant Laura Howard (Midsomer Murders). All this was made possible by generous sponsorship from our friends at The Royal Albert Hall, Clair Global, Amazon Music, Support Act, TAG, TAIT, The Music Industry Therapist Collective, Live Nation, Stagehand, Kilimanjaro Live, Rock-It Cargo, Hilton, Rockpool Tour Catering, Universal Pixels, Music Minds Matter and Hipgnosis Songs Group.
The appeal of touring is obvious, but the perks and opportunities it brings are only part of the picture. Over time, chronic stress exposure can wear down your natural resources and increase the risk of illness and injury. This audiobook is a deep dive into how touring can affect you psychologically, relationally and physically – whether you are struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction or relationship problems, or burn out, jet lag or RSI. And now you can listen to it wherever you are in the world whether you are boarding a flight, chilling in your bunk or waiting for sound check. Bottom line; it’s designed to help you mitigate the impact of tour stress and foster a healthier, more sustainable career.
The book will be available at all the usual outlets from 17 September. We’ll give you a 20% discount – with a further 20% donated to War Child, supporting children and families in conflict zones – if you enter the code MITC20 at checkout on our own store.
Since the book’s publication, we have enjoyed putting the principles it describes into action by training a touring Welfare Officer currently out with Dua Lipa [p118], delivering tour health workshops during rehearsals, developing a 24/7 online welfare coaching platform, translating the book into Spanish – with another language soon to be announced – and providing backstage therapy in venues like Old Trafford, The O2 arena and London Stadium. If you or your team could use our support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch: info@musicindustrytherapists.com
Words: Tamsin Embleton
Photo: Music Industry Therapist Collective (MITC)
