Page 17 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine - Issue 100

BV100 pg16-19 Zebrahead_BV100 pg17 12/03/2019 11:02 Page 2 BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 17

s United
s United

Invaders’ (you can now find him at He says, “I feel like, nowadays, a lot of peo- time, and for us, as a band, to be honest with
@alionelouder) and has managed to avoid get- ple are speaking more about mental health is- you, we’ve been doing this for quite a while, and
ting too involved in social media. sues, and I think that’s very important. It’s just we have made some long-standing friends who
“I have a Twitter account and I mainly use it like if you have a heart condition or anything we’ve met on tour who are fans of the band and
for announcing band things. I’ve done my best medically wrong with you, you’re free to go and now whenever we’re in town they come, they
to stay away from that because initially, when it see a doctor. I know there’s a stigma with mental meet us for lunch, or dinner, and we’ve created
started becoming really popular, I did it for a cou- health issues and I think it’s important to realize this really large web of friends because of the
ple of months. I got over it really quick because that it’s the same thing. High blood pressure, de- opportunity to play in a band and to tour, and
I did feel, ‘Why am I so worried about all this pression, they’re all medical conditions that can they’re the ones who have allowed us to have a
stuff?’ I’d see people’s posts and be like ‘That’s be treated. The more people talk about them, career, to be honest with you. It’s very important,
not true!’ I have friends who are getting divorced the more it becomes acceptable for people to I think. And I think, in a lot of ways, the fact that
and they’re putting pictures of how happy they get treatment and not worry that there’s a stigma we have so many friends and that we’ve had
are with their wives or whatever and I just felt it to it. So, yeah, I think it’s important for sure to that will hold us up throughout the years, it’s very
was so fake; not everybody, but I feel like it’s talk about mental health issues and it’s some- relatable to that song lyric.”
easy to get caught up in, and oftentimes what thing, again, that’s treatable. It’s important to get The one downside of being in a touring
you saw wasn’t really real, so I try to avoid it.” treatment.” band, though, is that you are apart from your
When Black Velvet watched the ‘All Our Being a good friend, and person, can be one friends back home.
Friends Are Nobodies’ video for the first time, we of the best things you can be and this in itself “You’re gone a lot, and so, oftentimes when
felt more of an overall mental health theme. can help mental health. If you have a good I go on tour and I come back and my friends’
Maybe people feeling caged in by their depres- friend, you are well off. Never underestimate the lives have completely changed and I’ve missed
sion. The lyrics to the song include ‘To all my power of a good friendship. that when they’ve gone through whatever
friends who’ve had enough. If you should fall, Ali says, “There have been so many times they’ve gone through,” says Ali. “I do feel guilty
we’ll pick you up’. Was this something they in my life when I’ve depended on my friends, about that sometimes, because I’m not physi-
wanted to focus on a little more? and without them I’d have had a much harder cally there. But I do my best to keep in contact
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