Rilian
[Photo via Rilian]

Rilian opens up about mental health in new track—listen

Grunge rocker Rilian, helmed by creator Jerad Griffin, is back with a new song titled “Stardrive,” premiering exclusively with AP.

“Stardrive” is off the outfit’s upcoming self-titled EP, out Oct. 23 via Kenobi Records. Previously a touring drummer for Anberlin, Griffin does more than drum on this track. In fact, Griffin wrote and engineered all the songs on the upcoming EP.

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Griffin wrote the track during a depressive episode. In his worst moments, he would start writing, ultimately leading to the creation of “Stardrive.”

“When I wrote ‘Stardrive,’ I was in a pretty deep state of depression, and writing music was about the only way to bring me out of it,” Griffin says. “I had been having severe panic attacks and would wake up in the middle of the night literally thinking I was dying. It was in those moments that I would just start writing.”

The song’s release falls just after World Mental Health Day Oct. 10. The day is a chance to raise awareness of mental health issues and end the stigma surrounding it. Part of this involves speaking out about personal struggles with mental health, which is exactly what Griffin does on “Stardrive.”

The track features vulnerable lyrics that give you a window into Griffin’s head during his depressive episodes. The uplifting instrumentals carry the lyrics and highlight his journey out of these dark places, which is exactly what he says writing the music did for him.

“This track is about escaping from a horrible situation and doing whatever it takes to get well,” Griffin says. “For me, that happened to be making music.”

“Stardrive” is Rilian’s first single since 2017, almost a full year later. Mixed and mastered by Joel Wanasek (Blessthefall, Vinyl Theatre) , “Stardrive” is just a taste of what fans can expect.

Rilian’s self-titled debut EP drops Oct. 23 via Kenobi Records and is available for preorder now. Check out “Stardrive” below.