Music Feedback - Jake and the Cowboys

22nd April, 2017    |    By  Music Feedback    |     1.9k

Maverick sat down with Jarred from the Jake and the Cowboys to talk about mental health. Watch to hear about Jarred’s thoughts on relieving stress, working in youth justice, keeping in touch with your


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Music Feedback – Jake and the Cowboys

Hi, I’m Maverick, and this is Jared from Jake and the Cowboys, and today we’re going to be talking about mental health issues.

What do you do to get over stress or anxiety?

I play the guitar. I like to have my own little space and time where I can chill out, and sometimes a good way for me is to really focus and identify what the issue at hand is. I try and delve into it and focus on why I’m feeling like this. So I try and breathe and ask myself, “Why am I getting in this situation? What’s making me feel like this?” When I do that, I try to focus on how I can resolve it. For some people, anxiety gets to a heightened level, and it gets to a point where they can’t deal with it. I’m lucky I’ve never gotten to that point, but I know a lot of people out there do.

You work in youth justice. Do you come across any mental health issues?

Yeah, definitely. I’ve come across times when we deal with all sorts of young people, and mental health issues are certainly something that young people may find hard to address. That’s something we try to work on. I try, through music as well, to make it somehow valid for young people, bringing awareness to mental health issues.

What type of messages do you convey through your music?

I’ve got a song called Born on the River. It’s about remembering where you come from and the people who stand true to you, especially when you face hardship. It’s also about remembering your culture, particularly for young Indigenous kids. It’s important to remember where you come from because, too often these days, young Indigenous kids are losing their identity and don’t have a strong grasp on their culture. I hope we can bring that back to them through music.

Do you think it’s particularly hard for young Indigenous people to talk about mental health issues?

Yeah, certainly. Some of them feel shame. They use the word “shame” a lot, and it means they’re not confident in telling others how they feel because they’re embarrassed by it. That’s a real issue with young Indigenous kids.

What’s your advice for young people suffering from mental health issues?

My advice would be to speak to other people. There’s always help out there. Seek help from your GP, and know there are people out there to assist you. I know GPs are there for that, and I’ve had family members see their GPs for situations like that as well. It’s not limited to just that. There are other services that can offer help, and in the local community, there are people who care. It’s important for young people to know that they’re not alone. There are people who can help.