It has been a while since we have heard from Faith No More and Dead Cross singer Mike Patton. Back in 2021, shows involving Patton were cancelled, with the vocalist citing mental health struggles. You can find that initial statement from Patton below:
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Earlier today, we shared how Patton’s hardcore supergroup, Dead Cross, just released a new single and have announced a new album. In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Patton not only talked about the work that went into this new Dead Cross record, but he opened up a lot about his mental health struggles.
He spoke to the impact the pandemic and lock down orders had on him, being diagnosed with Agoraphobia, and working on taking care of himself. Upon being asked about those cancelled 2021 shows and what was going on, Mike Patton shared the following:
“It’s still going on — but it’s better. [Pauses]. It’s easy to blame it on the pandemic. But I’ll be honest, man: At the beginning of the pandemic, I was like, ‘This is fucking great. I can stay home and record.’ I’ve got a home studio. So I was like, ‘Yeah, what’s the big deal?’ And then something clicked, and I became completely isolated and almost antisocial [and] afraid of people.
“That sort of anxiety, or whatever you want to call it, led to other issues, which I choose not to discuss. But I got some professionals helping me, and now I’m feeling better and getting closer to diving back in. Towards the end of the year, I’ll be doing my first shows in, like, two years, which is the longest time since I started doing this, that I’ve been out of the game.”
When asked more about those “other issues,” (and if those issues may involve substances/alcohol), Patton responds with:
“It was a little bit of everything. But mostly, in my experience, it was mostly mental. I saw some therapists and all that stuff, which is the first time I ever had to do that in my life. And they basically diagnosed me as having agoraphobia; like, I was afraid of people. I got freaked out by being around people. And maybe that was because I spent two years basically indoors during Covid. I don’t know. Maybe it reinforced feelings that I already had. But just knowing about it, talking about it, really helped. And we’ll see how it goes in December.”
The conversation then shifts towards his work with Faith No More, and what it has been like navigating that work. When asked when he knew he had “a problem,” Mike says:
“Right around the time that Faith No More was about to go back on the road. That’s when I kind of lost it, and it was ugly and not cool. A few days before we were supposed to go on the road. I told the guys, ‘Hey man, I don’t think I can do it.’ Somehow my confidence was broken down. I didn’t want to be in front of people, which is weird because I spent half of my life doing that. It was very hard to explain. And there were some broken feelings on both sides about it, but it’s what I had to do. Because otherwise something really bad could have happened.”
He is then asked if he has been rehearsing with the band, to which he says:
“Nope. It was right before our first rehearsal, and I just freaked out. I just said, ‘I can’t do it.’ They had been rehearsing so [pauses] If I were them I’d be really pissed off at me. And they were. And they probably still are. But it’s just about being true to yourself and knowing what your limits are. And I knew that if I kept pushing, it could have been some sort of disastrous result. It was just like, ;Goddamn it. Maybe I don’t need to do this. Even though I agreed to do it, and it’s gonna bum a lot of people out. I gotta take care of myself.’ So I’m getting better at that.”
We wish Mike all the best and hope he is finding greater peace with each new day <3
You can read the full Rolling Stone interview with Mike Patton via this link here.
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