If you haven’t heard of singer songwriter Lewis Capaldiyet, then you haven’t been paying attention. Capaldi has been number one for seven weeks, nominated for the Brits Critics Choice Award, sold out his UK arena tour, and has quickly accumulated over 2 million social media followers. And that's all before the release of his debut album, which is out at midnight (and is already the most pre-added album on Apple music ever). Capaldi has also become the poster boy for a generation of young people who are searching for new ways to articulate and deal with a looming mental health crisis.
‘I was getting inundated with messages on Twitter and Instagram with all this stuff like “I would love to come to your show but you know, I get panic attacks or I’m not very good in crowds,’ the 22-year-old tells Grazia. ‘That, and some people just don’t want to come alone. And I just thought that it seemed like some people could miss the out on coming to shows, just because of their anxiety.’ So last month, Capaldi announced LIVELIVE - an initiative to ensure that anxious fans would have the support available to feel more comfortable at those massive shows (two dates of his upcoming tour are at Wembley Arena.)
It's certainly a bold and commendable scheme from the singer – who, yes, is second cousin once removed from Doctor Who’s Peter Capaldi (which you’d maybe know if you watched the video to Someone You Loved) - but just how exactly will it work?
On the face of it, it sounds pretty simple. For only 50p extra per ticket, gig-goers will be able to receive on-site counselling; a team will be able to meet fans at the door, escort them to their seats, and later in the evening, help those who want to leave the concert quickly to avoid crowds. (An email hotline for people experiencing anxiety or emotional difficulties will also be in place.) Capaldi is quick to caution that while not all the details are yet in place, that doesn’t stop him from hoping as many people get on board as possible. ‘I hope it doesn’t go tits up,’ he laughs. ‘Because obviously I think we’ve got a while yet to really hone in the details of it, and iron it out, but it seems like such an easy thing to do for 50p extra a ticket, so I thought why not give it a go.’
He’s also keen to lend the initiative to other artists for their shows. ‘If any other artists want to come in and help build this, I’d be so up for that,’ he adds. ‘I want this to become a thing that can be at lots of shows. We’ve just put out the feelers, and we’re going to do this, and if anybody else wants to get involved, then I’d fucking love that. I want it at all gigs.’
Capaldi knows a thing or two about gettinganxious at shows - or at least he knows how it feels from the other side. In March, the singer made headlines after he exited the stage in Manchester, during a support slot for Bastille, because he was having a panic attack. ‘I was quite fortunate in the fact that I’m not shy about telling people,’ he admits. ‘I know it can be hard for people to say, but if I’m having a panic attack I will tell you I’m having a panic attack. It was a pain in the arse but I just stopped and I went “Look, I’m really sorry, I’m having a panic attack” and they were very understanding.’
Subsequently, Capaldi is a big supporter of Where’s Your Head At, our campaign calling for mental health to be given as much importance in the workplace as physical health. ‘The thing is, for me, speaking about anxiety, or if I get a panic attack, like you wouldn’t hesitate to tell someone if you have a cold or if you have the shits or something like that - so why would you hesitate to tell someone that you feel anxious or that maybe your mental health isn’t as good as it could be?’
Watch: Michelle Kennedy, Founder and CEO of Peanut on embracing your inner imposter
After seeking help and working with a CBT therapist, Capaldi now knows the root of his anxiety. ‘I think it’s just – my issue is – from a very young age I’ve been a hypochondriac, so if I have a pain in my head I think “Oh no, I’m fucking dying,”’ he exclaims. ‘I’ve always had that and I always have a Google. It always stems from health worries. I think now I’ve got a lot more stuff on, and I’ve got a band who are getting paid and that’s their job - they’re on tour - then there’s more at stake if I was to get ill, so I think that at the back of my head kind of brought my hypochondria to a whole new level.’
When he first noticed that his mental health was suffering, the singer took two weeks out of his packed schedule and cancelled a trip to America to work on his mental health. ‘I went to a CBT therapist and just fucking literally learned all the techniques to see when a panic attack is coming along and learned as much as I could about anxiety,’ he adds. ‘I stopped drinking for two months as well to see if that would alleviate any of the symptoms of anxiety and it did, but then I realised I enjoy alcohol so I got back on it. So I was like “Cool, I have panic attacks but I do also like a drink.” And so yeah I was took time out and I’m really glad I did it and I got myself sorted and now I can really handle panic attacks.’
Considering the speed of his rise to fame, I ask how his anxiety has affected his day-to-day life. But Lewis tells me that he only suffers from panic attacks, and feels that he’s ‘kind of lucky to not get it as a constant, constant thing.’ But I also want to know whether he’s felt a responsibility to be open about his struggles. He says he hasn't, but he's happy that more people in the public eye are talking about their mental health. ‘It's great,’ he says. ‘But I think it’s just more we’re in a position now where you see that people think if I can help someone talking openly about it, then gradually – what’s the word – where the stigma is decreasing now, people are just being more open about it and the more people talk about it the more it becomes a thing, which is what we are striving towards.’
Watch: Anna Whitehouse on feeling disconnected online
His levels of fame are a lot to handle for most people, let alone someone who has just turned 22. But, famous or not, as a young person, Lewis certainly isn’t alone in facing anxiety. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems; and while 1 in 4 people will experience mental health problems in their life, 75% of these start in childhood. ‘I think it’s got something to do with social media, and these perpetuated ideas of image and people’s appearance – it’s been a thing for a while, but I think with social media it’s everywhere.’
Thankfully, Lewis isn’t that anxious about his album coming out tomorrow. But he says he has ‘itchy feet’ about the world hearing it. ‘I just want people to buy it. It’s a good album,’ he says, but with what appears to be becoming his trademark self-deprecation, he adds, ‘It’s not the best album in the world. If you’re expecting to hear a Beyonce level album then you’re going to be disappointed, which is fine.
‘It’s good to get in the bath to with a big glass of wine and bawl your eyes out. And yeah, it’s good. It’s called Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent, which is way too long a title, but I hope you fucking enjoy it. It’s my favourite album - so far.’
Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent is released tomorrow.
To support our campaign to protect mental health in the workplace, visit wheresyourheadat.org.