Home Free has a new video out now, and it could be one of the most meaningful ones they have ever released. The five-man group just released their take on Jelly Roll‘s “I Am Not Okay,” from Jelly Roll’s latest Beautifully Broken album.
The message of the song is important to all of the Home Free members.
“It’s an incredible song, it’s an incredible initiative,” Tim Foust tells Everything Nash. “We’re all believers in the importance of mental health and wellness. Three of us are married to therapists. May is Mental Health Awareness month, so we wanted to do something special with that, so we decided to put our spin on that incredible Jelly Roll song.”
Foust also shares what he does to deal with his own mental health, which is especially important considering the group’s busy schedule.
“A lot of different things,” Foust shares. “I tackle it a lot of different ways, just in the therapeutic sphere. I have my own personal therapist. I’ve tried a few different modalities as well. Talk therapy, also some experiential stuff. I’ve had one session of brain spotting, and that went really well. My wife and I do marriage therapy with a couple of different therapists as well. We recently started doing equine therapy, and it is magical.”
“We’re all such advocates for mental health, and everybody’s journey’s so different,” adds Adam Chance. “But a big thing that’s important to us to is being in the music industry, and having a musician’s schedule and families at home, that’s a huge thing that we’ve all had to deal with too. So we’re pushing mental health for everyone, and therapy. We’re huge advocates for therapy.”
Adam Bell-Bastien, the newest member of Home Free, reveals some practical ways for people to take care of their mental health, including ones that are not cost-prohibitive.
“I think that one thing that comes up a lot when it comes to therapy and those sorts of experiences with people is that it’s cost-prohibitive for a lot of people,” Bell-Bastien says. “So I think it’s also really good to know the things that resonate with you as an individual. The things that make you feel alive and peaceful. I think it’s for me getting my hands in the dirt and doing some landscaping, or going to a body of water and just looking out over the horizon is really therapeutic. Things that calm you down and allow your head to stop spinning.
“I think that’s what happens a lot with people that are dealing with mental health issues is, you have one thought, and that spirals into another, into another,” he adds. “So even if you don’t have the money to see a therapist, you can find other ways.”
Chance adds that what works for one will not work for everyone, but everyone can do something to take care of their own mental health.
“You’ve got to know yourself,” Chance says. “I think that’s the important thing, to be able to be introspective and know what you need.”
At the end of the “I Am Not Okay” video, Foust also shares encouragement for those who are struggling.
“We’re all big believers in the importance of mental health,” he says. “And we want you to know that if you’re not okay, it’s okay. You’re not alone, and we encourage you to go get some support.”
Home Free lists several resources for those seeking help, including 988 Lifeline, a national suicide and crisis hotline that offers free, confidential support 24/7, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), and SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).
Find all of Home Free’s music and upcoming shows at HomeFreeMusic.com.