Sound Mind Live has been holding its mental health music festival since 2019 and Sunday marks its seventh year. Alternative (now indie) pop artist B0RNS (aka Garrett Clark Borns) will be the headliner. Prior to festival weekend, we sat down with B0RNS for an interview (see below).
The Sound Mind Live Music Festival for Mental Health aims to provide crucial support, raise awareness, and create a safe space for individuals to connect, heal, and find resources. Mental health challenges are at an all-time high, with nearly 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experiencing a mental illness and suicide now ranking as the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10 to 24. With rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation continuing to rise, there’s an urgent need for creative platforms like music festivals to raise awareness, foster connection, and break the stigma around mental health. The full press release can be found here: https://shorefire.com/releases/entry/sound-mind-live-announces-mental-health-music-festival-at-brooklyn-paramount-sunday-may-18th
On May 17th, the day prior to the festival, Sound Mind Live will host live performances, wellness workshops, singing circles, and an ecstatic dance party at Sound Mind Center. Ticket buyers for the festival on May 18th will also receive free entry to the events at Sound Mind Center on May 17th. Solo tickets for the panels and keynotes on May 17th can be purchased here: https://www.tixr.com/groups/soundmindlive/events/sound-mind-center-immersive-experience-day-part-of-the-sound-mind-festival–138347
Sunday’s festivities will be starting at 7 pm and will be hosted by American comedian Jordan Carlos, The festival will feature sets from BØRNS, rock band American Authors, singer-songwriter and activist MILCK, and a spoken word presentation by Hakeem Rahim. Tickets ($35) and VIP Tickets ($135, includes private concert viewing area, two drinks, and Sound Mind Live merch and gift bag) are still available here: https://www.universe.com/soundmindfest.
Interview with Garrett Borns by Howard Shiau:
HS: Hi Garrett. Thanks for taking the time out. First, I want to let you know that I’m a big fan. I probably wore your first album on vinyl down to the nubs and need to get another copy.
GB: Wow. Thanks. That’s great!
HS: I understand you do have a new album out now. Honeybee came out in March and you did a couple of shows out in LA.
GB: Yeah, that was really fun to bring to life and play it live.
HS: I guess it’s been quite a number of years since Blue Madonna. Why such a long break?
GB: We all know what happened in 2020. All touring took a break and I really feel like touring is really coming back this summer and fall and I’m seeing a lot more tour announcements and posters. i feel it’s been awhile since we’ve all been able to get into live shows kinda like how they were before.
HS: Did Covid and the lockdown influence the songwriting for Honeybee?
GB: I guess the songs from Honeybee came from post lockdown but I was writing a lot during the pandemic. I had a journal full of songs and i was really excited about recording in a way that I hadn’t before. I was so ready to be in a room with people again so I just brought musicians into a studio, we learned the songs out of my notebook, and basically pressed record. That’s how those songs came to be, i guess, although that’s simplifying the process a little bit but pretty much the songs were recorded from start to finish with live musicians in a room and it just felt so good. I guess it scratched that performance itch that
I hadn’t been able to have in a long time but also the recording thing so i was trying to do the recording and performing in the same breath. It was a unique kind of experience to see what would come out and the Honeybee EP and the Suddenly EP both came from recording in that way…live with just one take all the way through. We left in little mistakes and stuff and it just felt really free and natural and kind of rebellious in a way because i was just recording music on my own accord. I’m an independent artist now so i get to call the shots so that’s fun.
HS: I guess it sounds really old school. I took a look at your song “Bye Bye Darling” where you’re missing all these old things that are no longer relevant and maybe that recording process is some of what’s going on there.
GB: Yeah, I guess it is kind of an old school thing. I think it’s a simpler way to record and it’s a lot of kind of abandoning perfection or what I think perfection is because doing it that way kept me from fixing little things and tweaking little things until it was right. I feel that sometimes that can be so tedious and i simply want recorded music.
HS: And record companies will go in and fix what you think is just fine. Now that you’re independent, you don’t have to worry about that happening.
GB: Yeah, there’s less cooks in the kitchen for sure and that can feel like a whole different kind of responsibility too because now I have to figure out when it’s done and everything so that’s a new experience for sure
HS: Are you planning a tour to support the album?
GB: I’ve been in the studio with musicians rehearsing quite a bit and…
HS: If it’s news that isn’t to be released, that’s fine.
GB: I can’t really say anything at this moment but i love performing and i can’t wait to get out there again.
HS: Well, I’m looking forward to seeing you when you come around. Let’s talk a little bit about Sound Mind Live. They’ve been holding festivals since 2019 and mental health seems to be becoming a bigger and bigger issue especially amongst Millennials. Obviously musicians are not immune and we can see that with suicides all the way back to the 60s and earlier. And those are just the extreme cases. Being on the road all the time with the drinking and drugs can lead to all kinds of issues and depression. Also, many musicians I know are also closet introverts. The kind of anxiety they must experience show after show is something I can’t even imagine. First thing though…on the press release for Sound Mind Live, you’re identified as a psychedelic pop artist. What do you think of that?
GB: Oh, that’s interesting. I’m trying to think back on if that’s ever a word that’s used to describe my music or what i was doing and i don’t think…it doesn’t really sound like something i would say. I think that sometimes it would be a little bit like a synonym with 70s inspired music or something like that. A lot of the instruments that my buddy Tommy and I used to make Dopamine and Blue Madonna were these 70s instruments and we’re inspired by that music so i can see how those arpeggiated things can make you think that it’s like mind expanding music or whatever. But we just liked how it sounded in the studio. I don’t think anything happens if you play it backwards on a record player but i haven’t done that yet so…
HS: Oh, so there you go. Maybe you should try that!
GB: yeah!
HS: So how did you get involved with Sound Mind Live. Have you or your family or friends had mental health issues that have impacted you?
GB: Of course, I’ve had friends and family that…I feel like it’s hard not to be impacted in the times that we live in. There’s so much information out there and we’re constantly inundated with things that we have to sort through mentally. I think it’s part of living today and how do you preserve your mental wellness and find ways to find space. I wasn’t familiar with Sound Mind before they approached me for this festival but I was happy to see that they are a company that ties music to mental health because i think that’s a very natural pairing. Music is everyone’s friend and it’s always been there for me. The music that I’ve written and created has been a process for me to understand my everyday life and the world and I feel lucky to work with a company that believes in marrying those things: mental heath and music. I want to be up there and stand for all those things that go into mental health. For me, getting up on stage is not an easy thing for me to do. It’s something that I push myself to overcome and it’s taught me a lot about pushing through moments that seem difficult and finding awareness on the other side. I want to be an advocate for seeking out mental health and let people know that it’s ok to ask for help and I’m happy that there’s more of a space for us to find resources today. Twelve years ago, when I moved to LA, it wasn’t much of a conversation like it is now so we’ve come a long way in a little over a decade. I look back on my younger self experiencing this industry and performing and touring and I have a lot of empathy and compassion for that person because I really didn’t know what i was getting into. It was a lot at once and it was really overwhelming. I want to be able to share and shed light on others who could use that help early in their careers or wherever they are in their lives.
HS: I’m sure going from someone who’s enjoying music, playing music, writing music to all of a sudden be hit with all this fame and adulation…it’s a lot to deal with. Would you consider yourself an introvert?
GB: There’s definitely a part of me that’s an introvert. It’s kinda funny. I’m still discovering both sides of me and what drives me to perform and what drives me to be introspective. I do really enjoy my alone time and my creative process and being in a studio and being kind of a hermit but there definitely comes a time when I just want to be out in the world and discover new things and share music and share joy. I think both of those things are very important to me.
HS: That’s great! i hope you have a great set at Sound Mind. Are you speaking or just doing a set?
GB: I’ll be speaking in between songs (grin). My set is my time to be up there.
HS: Any plans to incorporate the message of mental health into your future shows? People go to shows to get away from the world. On the other hand, everyone’s got their phone up, they’re on Instagram, they’re on whatever. Social media just seems to create divides between people nowadays. Everyone, especially young people, who come to your shows probably need to hear the message even more nowadays just because social media is embedded into everybody’s lives.
GB: Yeah, I hope that doing this show, I can learn more about how to approach that topic on stage and make it more of an open conversation. I have never incorporated that into interviews or performances but I’m looking forward to being more open with it.
HS: One last question: when you come to New York, is there something you have to do or somewhere you have to eat just because it’s a New York thing?
GB: Oh, I haven’t been to New York in awhile so I’m excited to get back there. There’s a really old Hungarian pastry shop up on 116th street that I used to live near when I was in New York writing some music back in 2012, I used to get a slice of pumpkin pie and it was really good so that’s kind of a nostalgic one for me. Yeah, maybe up by Morningside Park so I’ll have to do some exploring.
HS: Everything’s changed probably?
GB: Yeah, I know, right?