Sound CheckSerena Ryder opens up about her battle with depression
Serena Ryder’s “Stompa” has spent six straight weeks atop Billboard’s Triple A chart ((also known as the Adult Album Alternative chart). Now, she's opening up to the magazine about her hit song and what she experienced making her latest record “Harmony.”
"I went through a really intense bout of clinical depression after I finished touring for [the album] 'Is it OK,'" the Juno Award-winning artist said. "There was a long period of time that I had to spend at home and try and get my s--- back together, learn about myself and learn about what depression really is."
The 30-year-old Canadian singer was recently signed to Capitol Records for the U.S. release of “Harmony,” and even though that could mean a wider audience for the Toronto artist, it seems like she still isn’t scared to discuss her struggles.
“I do think it's important to talk about it, but also to talk about the good in who you are and that is in your life," Ryder told SOCAN in March. “Depression can grow into this gigantic monster that has a really big voice and is louder than you. Just because you can't hear your own voice doesn't mean you’re not there.”
She also said, “You can't force yourself to do anything when you're in that situation, but I do think hearing and listening to music can really pull you through certain things.”
Legendary musician Leonard Cohen has also shared his battle with depression with fans. According to The Guardian, the 78-year-old Canadian artist started to feel better in 1999.
“Life became not easier but simpler,” he said in 2001. “The backdrop of self-analysis I had lived with disappeared. It's like that joke: ‘When you're hitting your head against a brick wall, it feels good when it stops.'”
For information about depression and where to find help, check out Depression Hurts.
