Ask A Professional: Interview With Johnny Marriott of PET NEEDS

I was fortunate to speak with Johnny Marriott, the lead singer and frontman of British punk band PET NEEDS, right before they played Glastonbury. An outspoken advocate for mental health both through his music and through his work as a patron of the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine, I got to ask him about looking after himself on the road, mental health in the music scene, and more. You can also find him on Patreon. Questions and answers edited for clarity.

Q: Can you tell me about the charity you are a patron of? Who does it serve, what does it do, how can we support it?

A: I am a patron of the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine who advocate for and support the physical and mental health of people working in the performing arts. I've actually accessed their service since becoming a patron and received free counselling, which I would have never been able to afford otherwise. They are incredible people.  You can support them at https://www.bapam.org.uk/

Q: Your music is intensely personal and yet you describe experiences that resonate with so many others around the world. How does that feel? Is it healing, stressful, or both?

A: Massively the former but a bit of both. I've had amazing conversations with people all over the world with anxiety, depression, autistic people, people with OCD who have found comfort in me sharing my personal experience. My background is in psychology and particularly counselling psychology so I'm pretty used to listening to people. I feel a bit of pressure when writing new music not to say the wrong thing. I do however now feel pressure when writing new songs, as I know that there are so many people listening that the words mean a lot to. But then I try to just continue to write for myself, then when it lands with others, it's a real comfort.

Q: You have toured across the western world and made loads of connections and friends. What have you noticed about how different places look at and support mental health?

A: I've learnt through speaking to American friends about toxic positivity - which is a concept we definitely don't have in the UK! I have a weird subjective view of everywhere I go because the people I meet are coming to PET NEEDS shows - so they tend to be more open and reflective people on the whole.

USA male punk fans can present as quite testosterone-fueled and masculine which you don't see as much in punk in the UK.

All over the world - from Poland to Arizona - people have opened up to me about their mental health and allowed me to share my story.

I also don't think the "stiff upper lip" approach is as prevalent in the UK anymore - most people my generation and younger are very open, which is a good thing.

Q: How do you think the punk scene in particular supports mental health? Are we doing a good job? What can we do better?

A: Collectivism, community, belonging and charity all support mental health and this is massively prevalent in the punk scene. Punk Rock Saves Lives are incredible and embody all of this.

There are still men in the punk scene that are awful and embody the "I don't give a fuck" version of punk. They will do grotesque things to shock - which is the opposite of supporting your own or other people's mental health. And everyone seems to know who they are but all seems fine with it because they are too influential in the scene.

We have to be honest with punk - a lot of it was pretty grim for a long time. Sid Vicious killed a cat and sang about it, GG Allin sexually assaulted people on stage, Johnny Ramone was super right wing. The new generation of punk isn’t really like that anymore. They'd hate to hear it I'm sure, but all the beautiful sides of the punk community now have been largely inspired by the hippy community. Sorry punks, it's true.

It feels like people who are drawn to the punk scene are people who feel they don't fit in as well in conventional society. That's what drew me to it anyway. So just by that nature I feel it's evolved into a place of acceptance and celebration. But that's my myopic view as a straight white man. I know for a fact we need to make gigs safer for women still.

The best punk shows are ones like Laura Jane Grace shows where it feels all people from all walks of life are celebrated and welcomed. It should be a blueprint for society.

Q: Can you talk about how life on the road can affect your mental health? How do you and the band look after yourselves and each other when you’re half a world away from home?

A: Life can be amazing, and it can be so depressing that on many occasions I've been reduced to tears. But you know what? Touring has been getting easier the more we tour because we now know people on the road and feel welcomed by friends when we go to places. The first American tour when we away for two months - we knew nobody at the start. The drives were so long and the time in our shitty motels were sometimes less than four hours. We were exhausted, undernourished and at times all very depressed.

Homesickness can really hit, especially when something is going on at home that you should be supporting. It's so hard.

My biggest piece of advice for touring bands: Have this conversation with your bandmates right at the beginning: Whatever anyone feels on the road is valid and it's not anyone's job to change that. That sounds a bit counterproductive, but if someone is feeling really depressed and homesick, instead of saying, "cheer up mate you're touring the world!", it's better to say, "What you're feeling now is really valid. What do you need - space? Some food? A hug? I'm here if you need me."

And on the flipside, if someone is having the time of their life - that's a very valid emotion too! Don't invalidate it by saying, "Why aren't you missing home?"

If we all have that understanding of each other from the off, we can all feel safer to be honest about where we are emotionally and support each other.

Q: What was the biggest surprise about becoming a full-time creative artist?

A: Honestly? That we're still doing in 3.5 years later. Every year I say, "one last year to see if we can make it work", then it gets to the end of the year and I'm like, "one more year".

I was fully expecting it to work for a year and then implode, but somehow we're still doing it and it's still landing.

I think the other big surprise is genuinely how much people want to support you if you learn how to tell the right story. In an airbrushed world where every Instagram post is carefully curated we decided to start and then continue our career by being completely honest. Again, sounds counterproductive in this day and age, but it unlocked something in our supporters which means they want to lift us up, and continue to do so, hence we are still here doing it full time!

Q: What do you wish people knew about musicians?

A: That there isn't a HR department in the music industry and as an artist you'll be pushed to breaking point to make tours happen, because if you turn it down, someone else will take the work.

Sorry that doesn't sound too inspiring. I don't know what to do about it right now!

My biggest advice to musicians to try combat this on a personal level: judge success by what you can control. By the quality of the show as opposed to the amount of people there. Just by making music you've achieved something. Do it for the love. I've been working on a new song all day and I think it's really good. That's probably still the best feeling I get from music, and I've been getting that feeling for almost two decades now, regardless of my success from an outside perspective.

Q: Your song “Fingernails” has helped me and others through some really tough times. What songs/artists do you listen to when you are feeling wobbly, or struggling, or want to feel like you are not alone?

A: Art Brut - Post Soothing

OutThe Streets - On the Edge of a Cliff

Against Me! - Black Me Out

Q: Anything else you want to share about the unique mental health challenges of being a full time punk rocker?

A: That the majority of the time it's really fun and I feel truly blessed to do it. Biggest advice - try not to get too messed up on drugs or alcohol on tour as it can easily spiral.

Enjoy yourself on the road by trying to find beauty in the everyday. For me it's spending time with people and trying local food.