HARDY Gets Candid About His Struggles With Mental Health And Burnout, Reveals Plans To Scale Back On Touring

In a candid and revealing new interview, HARDY opens up about his mental health challenges and reveals plans to scale back his touring plans amid burnout.

The 33-year-old has captivated country music lovers with his ability to incorporate elements of rock into the genre, making waves with his genre-bending record the mockingbird & THE CROW throughout 2023.

Playing some shows for his supporters – as well as embarking on a tour with his close friend and collaborator Morgan Wallen – life on the road, as well as a terrifying tour bus crash, began to take a toll on the mental health of the “TRUCK BED” singer. Because of this, HARDY slowed down his schedule, enrolled in “a three-day intensive trauma therapy,” and more, finally opening up about the situation in an episode of God’s Country from iHeartPodcasts and MeatEater.

While chatting with the Isbell Brothers – also known as “The Brothers Hunt” – the country-rock superstar gave fans a glimpse into the mental health struggles he faced in the past, as well as a look into the future when it comes to touring.

HARDY’s Mental Health Struggles

Following a brief hiatus from drinking alcohol, HARDY admitted that he had experienced his first panic attack, detailing the situation on the podcast.

“I’d taken a break from drinking, which was, I think, had a lot to do with it, because I wasn’t necessarily what you’d say, like medicating, you know what I mean,” he prefaced, prior to delving into the details. “I’d taken a couple months off, and then, dude, out of nowhere, twice in one week, I had a panic attack for the first time… it wasn’t induced by anything really… It felt like somebody just like punched me right in the chest. I was fine, and then I immediately thought that I was having a heart attack.”

Concluding the statement, the Mississippi native shared that he “credited a lot of that to the wreck and the trauma that came from that,” which occurred when his tour bus overturned on its left side on the way back to Music City in October of 2022, injuring both him and his team.

Trauma Therapy

Because of both the trauma and the panic attacks that he was enduring at the time, the CMA Award winner revealed to the Isbell Brothers that he embarked on a “three day intensive trauma therapy thing, where it was 18 hours of therapy and over the course of three days.”

This experience occurred just after HARDY canceled quite a few of his shows to focus on his mental health. “This is why I canceled the shows… through talking about stuff, I was like, and you know, I don’t love being on the road all year and playing 80 to 90 shows a year… I started talking about it and, about how much it’s affected me and my mental health and everybody is different,” he continued passionately.

Fortunately for the country-rock superstar, he plans to focus more on his mental health in 2024, slowing down his schedule so he is able to properly deliver performances to his fans, all while keeping a good head on his shoulders.

Scaling Back Shows in 2024

Moving to Nashville to become a songwriter and quickly being launched into the limelight as both an artist and a performer, HARDY admitted on the podcast that he was rather reluctant when he was beginning this journey, quickly getting burnt out and failing to look after both his mental and physical health.

Because of this, HARDY revealed, “I’m still gonna play shows, but I’m just not gonna play as many in the future, and it’s gonna be a little more systematic… I’ve learned that I’m always going to play shows, and I love playing shows, but it got to a point where it was too much for me, and I think that that was just as much a cause of my anxiety as the trauma from the bus wreck.”

This statement comes just days after the announcement of his 15-date tour this summer – also known as the QUIT!! Tour – which will allow HARDY to headline some of the largest venues of his career. With support from rising stars like Kip Moore, Travis Denning, Ella Langley, and Stephen Wilson Jr, this run of shows is sure to be nothing short of spectacular, all while ensuring that he is not overworked.

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HARDY’s QUIT!! Tour Dates

May 30 – Rogers, Ark. – Walmart AMP ♠*◎

May 31 – St. Louis, Mo. – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre ♠*◎

June 1 – Noblesville, Ind. – Ruoff Music Center ♠*◎

June 6 – Toronto, Ont. – Budweiser Stage ♠*◎

June 7 – Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – Broadview Stage at SPAC ♠*◎

June 8 – Buffalo, N.Y. – Darien Lake Amphitheater ♠*

June 14 – Charlotte, N.C. – PNC Music Pavilion ♠*✭

June 15 – Raleigh, N.C. – Coastal Credit Union Music Park ♠*✭

June 20 – Holmdel, N.J. – PNC Bank Arts Center ♠*✭

June 21 – Mansfield, Mass. – Xfinity Center ♠*✭

June 22 – Gilford, N.H. – BankNH Pavilion ♠*✭

June 27 – Camden, N.J. – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion ♠*✭

June 28 – Bristow, Va. – Jiffy Lube Live ♠*✭

July 25 – Cincinnati, Ohio – Riverbend Music Center ♠*

July 27 – Tinley Park, Ill. – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre ♠*

♠ Kip Moore

* Travis Denning

✭ Ella Langley

◎ Stephen Wilson Jr.

HARDY fans can secure their seats at one of these 15 shows HERE.