British DJ and music producer Ben Pearce is set to speak in the House of Commons about his battle with mental health.
After rising to prominence in the Deep House sector of the music industry and experiencing the demanding schedule which came with it, Mr Pearce says he struggled with severe anxiety which is something which he will discuss in Westminster.
He is appearing in Parliament on Monday (October 30) as part of initiative SING4SANE, run by singer/songwriter Melissa James.
The project stages pop-up performances inviting anyone to join in as a public choir alongside her in a bid to unite those with an understanding of mental health and encourage people to talk about having good mind health and raise awareness.
Let's talk about mental health
This time Mr Pearce will be jumping on board with the Parliamentary Big Sing pop up.
The DJ will share his story, describing how he would have panic attacks before major stage appearances which spiralled into depression.
In order to give himself space to reflect upon his career, he took a break from the music industry in late 2016, he said: "The pressures of the music industry, combined with the desire to be a working artist, are often at odds with each other.
"I constantly question whether agreeing to particular performances, or keeping-up with demands of social media posts, are really necessary if I am not fully stable and am not feeling mentally well.
"It does mean making sacrifices which in turn can lead to feelings of guilt and uncertainty about your abilities as an artist and performer.
"The difficulty speaking about it doesn’t help.
"Singing with others who understand does somehow help to silently ease the pressure."
Mr Pearce is getting back out in front of the crowds, returning to the limelight with his new project Ascension, a series of extended play records based on a story created by himself.
The Parliamentary event on Monday is hosted my Helen Whately, MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, who also chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health.
At the event, those involved will sing a version of Live Again, a charity single written by James and recorded by the singer and members of the public in the summer of 2016, of which all proceeds go to the mental health charity SANE.
The song is planned for re-release in early November and will be available to download online.
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