It's been over a year since the world lost Avicii. On April 20, 2018, the DJ/producer took his own life, shaking the music community to their core. While there were hundreds of questions revolving around the tragedy, the most impactful one was - "How do we prevent this from happening again?" Martin Garrix, a good friend of the late producer, spoke up about how his death changed the way artists handle mental illness.
Garrix sat down Dutch publication Het Parool to further discuss the state of the music industry and mental health awareness after Avicii's death.
“It was weird what happened to him, but his death did trigger something in the scene,” he said. “There is much more awareness that we DJs are just people.” - Garrix
Many artists have canceled their shows and taken work off to put their health first. Recently, producers such as Whethan, Oliver Tree, and Hotel Garuda have openly shared on social media their personal issues and why they need a break.
Garrix went on to say the adversity brought DJs closer together. This was a wake-up call to everyone in the industry to start looking out for one another.
“After Tim’s death I received not-how-many messages from other DJs: ‘Please Martijn, take it easy.’ DJs and producers have been paying more attention to each other: ‘Are you getting your rest?’ It has brought us closer together." - Garrix
How has Avicii's death impacted your life? Leave your answer in the comments below.