STAIND's MIKE MUSHOK Talks About Importance Of Communication Around Mental Health

In a new interview with Baltimore's 98 Rock radio station, STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok advocated for people to take care of their mental health, noting mental illness is something that needs to be dealt with head-on. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I feel like there's a greater emphasis on just even mental health and people being aware of [issues surrounding our emotional, psychological, and social well-being]. And I think that's great. I mean, you start to hear all these PSAs about, 'Listen, man, it's okay if you go to get help or go talk to somebody,' and there's all these other things out there. And, listen, hopefully people take advantage of that, because we all go through it, right? There's always things that everybody deals with in their everyday life, regardless of who you are, what you do or how great it seems for anybody."

Addressing the fact that musicians suffer from mental-health issues at an alarming rate, Mushok continued: "And I'll tell you the other thing. In doing this first as long as we have, there's something to be said for — and I'm gonna pigeonhole vocalists. All you've gotta do is look at Chris [Cornell], look at Chester [Bennington], look at Scott [Weiland], these guys that are great and at the top of the game, they've gone through a lot of stuff in their life, man. And sometimes they don't deal with it, or they try to, and it's just so sad. These are, like, my favorite artists."

After one of the interviewers noted that Mike and the other members of STAIND pioneered writing about their feelings in their songs at a time when it wasn't cool for rock bands to do so, Mushok said: "No, listen, I feel like Jonathan [Davis] started that in KORN. That first [KORN] record was really where that really started to come out. And those guys are just so amazing. But I think you're right, though."

He added: "Listen, we all go through it. It's just how you deal with it."

STAIND's latest album, "Confessions Of The Fallen", arrived on September 15 via Alchemy Recordings/BMG. STAIND's first new LP album since 2011 was produced by Erik Ron (GODSMACK, PANIC! AT THE DISCO, BLACK VEIL BRIDES).

STAIND has released eight albums since 1995, including 2011's self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.

STAIND released its first album in nine years, "Live: It's Been Awhile", in May 2021 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album was accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents.

STAIND and GODSMACK recently completed a 25-city co-headlining 2023 tour, produced by Live Nation. The trek launched on July 18 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis, Missouri, with stops across the U.S. before wrapping up in Austin, Texas at Germania Insurance Amphitheatre on August 31.