Sudden break forced by social distancing measures put the singer in a mental health crisis and forced him to re-examine his relationship with work
In addition to the direct impact of Covid-19, the pandemic also brought a mental health crisis in several countries. Faced with this situation, people did not seek help and chose to self-medicate. This was the case of Oliver Sykes.
The vocalist of Bring Me the Horizon suffered a drug relapse during the period of social distancing, caused by the atypical period. In an interview with Loudwirethe Englishman, who is married to a Brazilian and has lived in the country for a few years, told how the drastic change in routine affected him.
He said:
I started using drugs again during the pandemic. I think it was simply because I was used to being worn out. When the pandemic hit and I didn’t have so much to do, I got so bored because I wasn’t used to being a real person that I relapsed.”
Sykes revealed that the fear of Bring Me the Horizon Losing all the momentum he gained before the pandemic put him in a fragile mental state. Until then, their work ethic dictated a frantic pace, as any interruption could be fatal for the band.
I used to think my success was based on the mentality: ‘If we stop for a minute, our band will fall apart, no one will like us, we won’t be big anymore. We always have to make new songs, we need to motivate ourselves, we need to do this and that, we don’t have an album’.”
Slowing down and imposing limits
It was four years between Post Human: Survival Horror (2020) and Post Human: Nex Gen (2024), the two most recent releases from Bring Me the Horizon. During this period, Oli Sykes he needed to restructure his mental process — and naturally the typically anxious ideas were left aside. The vocalist said:
I realized after the Post Human: Survival Horror album, I thought, ‘I need to stop thinking like that.’ I realized that even if it is true, what is the cost of living like this?”
The singer also said that he needed to set limits. The workload of the Bring Me the Horizon remains heavy, but Sykes He learned to balance his professional and personal lives.
Part of that was making a point of not overworking myself, you know? Not dedicating every day of my life, giving up everything – vacations, time off, doing other things, spending time with my family and friends.”
Regarding the future of the project Post Humanthere will, indeed, be continuity with the announced tetralogy. But don’t rush to the next chapter.
We’re still going to do more Post Human. But it could take ten years, you know… no pressure. I’m not. I’m not going to ruin my own life just so it comes out next year or something.”
Oli Sykes and his drug past
Oli Sykes He spoke openly about his drug use at other times. In 2015, for example, he revealed to the NME that the album Sempiternal (2013) — considered the moment in which the Bring Me the Horizon hit the mainstream — it was composed after he recovered from a serious ketamine addiction, which was almost responsible for his death.
At the time, the singer declared that he strongly disagreed with the methodology for treating drug addicts. According to the 2015 interview, from the moment he stopped using drugs, he never felt like using again and was cured.
In another interview at the same NMEin June 2024, the musician recognized his mistakes. He realized he wasn’t cured of the drugs, just distracted by everything else:
It was the beginning of realizing I wasn’t as fixed as I thought I was after rehab.”
The new experience in rehabilitation offered a better perspective regarding mental health. Now, the artist — who will perform in São Paulo on November 30th — says he knows that the process is continuous.
Collaborated: Pedro Hollanda.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
