Hanging out backstage at the Hard Rock Artist Lounge ahead of her performance at Audacy’s We Can Survive 2024, Tate McRae caught up with Bru, to reminisce about the last time she was on the We Can Survive lineup, talk about touring, open up about mental health, and more.

We Can Survive continues Audacy’s mission to support mental health via I’m Listening and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) -- because talk has the power to save lives. Tate opened up about what she does to maintain her mental health in such a demanding and unpredictable industry.

“I mean, obviously I have an outlet which is writing. If I didn't have writing, I would not be in the position I am today. Music is definitely the thing that I reach to whenever I'm hitting like my lowest points,” McRae revealed. “But then I also just think having a good support system, your family, your friends, making sure you trust them and they fill you up is really important.”

Acknowledging that there still might be some lingering stigma that “talking about your emotions is like a sensitive or annoying thing to do,” Tate stressed the importance of “being open with yourself and honest, and honest with your friends too,”

“Have conversations, none of it's embarrassing,” she said, insisting that the idea of not wanting to share in order to feel cool in front of your friends, “that's so overrated.”

Echoing the aim of Audacy’s I’m Listening initiative to share valuable resources for those who need to connect, heal, and share their own stories, Tate encouraged those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. "I feel like just being honest with each other and being your authentic selves is the only time that you're gonna feel actually fulfilled in a friendship. Then you actually can see what your friends are going through, otherwise… you don't really know your friends and you don't really know yourself.”

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Bru

New Kids On The Block (Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight, Donnie Wahlberg, and Danny Wood) joined Audacy host Mike Adam backstage in the Hard Rock Artist Lounge at New Jersey’s Prudential Center to help us celebrate our 11th year of We Can Survive.

Touching on the recent news that singer Chappell Roan had canceled her tour in order to focus on her mental health, Jordan Knight says “It's kind of tough, even for me. You wanna be a celebrity, but you want your privacy. You want both things and it's really hard to do that. I guess maybe it's more like an inner thing to not let things get to you more-so than try to find total privacy while also trying to be a celebrity. It's very difficult.”

Joey adds, “Clearly she's incredibly articulate with her feelings and where she is in her career and how it happened so fast, and it's lovely that someone could just say that. We came from an era where, if you said you weren't 100% grateful for everything you had, people would look at you like you're crazy. So, it is nice that I think it's part of the evolution of humans and artists to say, ‘This is wonderful, but this is what I need’ -- and that's what she's saying. I think we do that in our own way, maybe more quietly and because we've been in the game for so long, but it's not easy.”

“As far as advice, you can't really give advice,” he continues. “I mean, you can't even give advice to your own kids. I had a great dad, right? It goes in one ear and goes out the other. You gotta learn on your own. Hopefully, you have enough people around you that can cushion some of the blows that you go through. But it's an interesting world to grow up in.”

The biggest misconception specifically when it comes to mental health, Donny says, “is that asking questions or asking for help is a weakness.” On the contrary, “It's a strength,” he believes. “It takes vulnerability which takes strength. Imagine telling even your closest friend your deepest darkest secret, it's hard, and a lot of us will pass up that opportunity time and time again.”

“We have to learn in time. Hopefully that asking for help, asking questions, is a strength. It takes vulnerability, and in that regard, we can just try to encourage everyone. One of the reasons we're here is to encourage everyone to ‘don't be afraid,’ you know. Even us… we grew up in the music business, we became really successful as teenagers, and suddenly everyone in our life thought we had all the answers -- and we were children. It made it hard for us to say, ‘Damn, I'm struggling right now.’ Everyone's like, ‘Hey man, what do I do?’”

“It's a journey for everyone,” he says, “but asking for help, however vulnerable anyone feels doing it, hopefully you can find the strength to do it because it's a beautiful thing and there are people out there willing to help -- but they can't read our minds.”

Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.

Words by Joe Cingrana Interview by Mike Adam

Hanging out backstage in the Hard Rock Artist Lounge ahead of his performance at Audacy’s We Can Survive 2024, Khalid chatted with Bru about his new music, feeling accomplished, as well as the importance of kindness, friendship, mental health, and more.

With We Can Survive continuing Audacy’s mission to support mental health via I’m Listening and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) -- the conversation made its way to the importance of kindness, friendship, and prioritizing mental health.

As a kind hearted soul himself, Khalid finds that kindness in collaboration is really important. “Luckily I've only met kind people who have wanted to work with me and collaborate and they give me so much love and respect and I give them the same mutually.”

“I think that's the best part of this industry… meeting other people and knowing that you're not alone going through this process. So I really value friendship… it’s just really important to me,” Khalid added.

When it comes to maintaining his mental health, it’s those friendships, and kindness towards himself that Khalid finds as helpful tools. “I really gotta give my thanks to my core friend group… I’ve kept the same friends since I've started my career and they've been able to see me in different stages of my life. So really valuing the importance of the relationships that I have around me. And also like I said, giving myself grace and taking myself less seriously and always having fun with life. This is the only life we got.”

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Bru

Audacy host Mike Adam caught up with singer Isabel LaRosa in the Hard Rock Artist Lounge backstage at this year’s We Can Survive concert at Prudential Center with tons of congratulations to share.

“I'm happy that it's becoming more of a conversation and people feel like they can talk about [mental health] more,” she continues, “but I still do think a lot of people are afraid to ask for help. A lot of the time if I'm struggling, I don't want to feel like I have to ask for help, or I get embarrassed. I just feel like it's always better to say something or rant about it on a TikTok or whatever it is… You should always talk about it in whatever way you want to. I don't think you should ever keep it to yourself if you feel like it's something you need to talk about.”

“My boyfriend and my loved ones… I mean, they are the best,” Isabel adds, “and sometimes I get so in my head about everything that it's hard to see reality and it's helpful to have somebody be like, ‘Ok, wake up, nothing’s going downhill, you're not gonna fail.’ It's just helpful to have a reality check sometimes.”

Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.

Words by Joe Cingrana Interview by Mike Adam

Haven Madison talks backstage at We Can Survive in the Hard Rock Artist Lounge about mental health challenges and more.

Sharing what she does when she needs a mental health break, because sometimes being a pop star can be hard, Tate McRae revealed, “Actually, the other day, I literally walked outside and sat in the grass. I was like, I need to realize that — number one thing always is just like finding gratitude in every situation. If you're not happy or something is stressing you out, you have to look around and realize the things that you do have… Because I think as people, we just get into this flow of always wanting more, and always wanting to look for the next thing, and compare, and sometimes you forget that our life is very blessed.”

“Whenever I get into a spot where I get stuck, I always need to be like, ‘Ok, you need to step out of your head and realize that you're really lucky to be in the position that you're in…' and I think that it always puts things into perspective for me.” Circling back, saying, “You really do have to touch the grass sometimes… And realize that your phone isn't a real thing.”

Words by Maia Kedem Interview by Bru

That’s a wrap on Audacy’s eighth annual I’m Listening broadcast, but the wisdom and support shared will live on and be accessible to anyone at any time via the free Audacy app.

In partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), this year’s I’m Listening special featured artists, athletes, medical experts and more, highlighting why having open and honest conversations surrounding mental health is important, while also discussing healthy ways to manage daily struggles.

Radio personality and co-host of NBC’s TODAY and The Voice, Carson Daly, and Audacy’s nationally syndicated host, Katie Neal, returned to host this year's broadcast alongside psychologist, author, scientist, and founder of the mental health nonprofit, The AAKOMA Project, Dr. Alfiee “Dr. Alfiee” M. Breland-Noble, and AFSP’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christine Yu Moutier.

All four hosts guided listeners through a two-hour special which included honest conversations spanning topics of adolescent mental health, the impact of an election year, veteran and first responders, parenthood, social media, and more.

“Reaching people with authentic stories that resonate and that highlight resiliency are known to increase help-seeking, connection and save lives,” said Bob Gebbia, Chief Executive Officer, AFSP. “The ‘I’m Listening’ initiative provides an incredible platform to reach people with the message that they are not alone and that their mental health matters. We are honored to be partners with a media company like Audacy that values our expertise and our voices in shaping our culture’s narrative toward uplifting mental health and suicide prevention. We are also incredibly thankful to be beneficiaries of proceeds from the 'We Can Survive' concert, which fuels our mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.”

Beyond broadening the mental health conversation, Audacy has raised over $2 million in support of national and local organizations by collaborating with partners like AFSP on events and experiences, including the upcoming annual We Can Survive concert starring Justin Timberlake, New Kids On The Block, Tate McRae and more at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ on Saturday, September 28. A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit AFSP.

Audacy's I’m Listening aims to share valuable resources for those who need to connect, heal, and share their own stories. The I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.

Everclear frontman Art Alexakis talks candidly with us about the way discussions surrounding mental health have changed in the time he has been hard at work creating songs that resonate with so many loyal listeners.

“I think mental health conversations have taken a quantum leap forward because back in the day it was just -- you didn't talk about it, you didn't talk about mental health,” Art tells us. "Speaking about your own mental health,” he says, “meant you were weak, that you were sick,” or it meant that at your essence “you were different. That you weren't as good as other people.”

“The sad thing about it is it's always been a thing,” he explains. “Every family has mental health issues; just about every person does. Instead of looking at mental health as a problem, instead of looking at it like something to keep up on, and get tune-ups, and work on it like you would your regular health -- like working out, diet… Now that people are having more conversations about it, I think it's come a long way.”

Keeping that conversation going with younger generations is the key, and it is up to us to help provide those tools for success. “I grew up in a time -- in between Baby Boomer and Gen-Z -- where there wasn't a lot of tools with the medications for mental health, and now there's so many of them,” he adds. “My youngest daughter went through some issues with that during COVID, as did a lot of kids, and I think a lot of tools that I've given her is like therapy, medication, understanding, being able to network with other people and other kids… to know that she's not alone.”

“I think that's the biggest thing,” he says of the simple fact of knowing that you’re not the only one struggling. “It's the alienation that makes people give up hope. If it wasn't for music, and my music, and me creating music, my mental health would not be anywhere near where it is now. I'm very grateful for what I do for a living and I'm in my sixties; I'm still playing guitar, in a Rock n’ Roll band.”

“My mental health is something that I have been keeping up all my life,” Art adds, “with my sobriety. I've been sober 35 years. For me, mental health and sobriety, and my higher power and my family, they're all interconnected and I think they are for most people. It just takes people a while to figure it out.”

Audacy's I’m Listening initiative aims to encourage those who are dealing with mental health issues to understand they are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.

Words by Joe Cingrana