“In the middle of writing an EP, a disk in my lower back collapsed. After a successful surgery, I didn’t feel like myself at all. I had to take a lot of opioid pills and nerve damage meds to cope with the pain for 5 months and it threw me into a spiral filled with hallucinations, suicidal thoughts, and more. I wasn’t in the state of mind to finish the EP anymore. I knew right then it would be a LONG time until I could release music again. To try and snap out of it, I went back to the studio and just started writing. I donʼt even remember making some of these ideas, to be honest. After a certain point, I tried to get off the meds which was super hard. After battling the shakes, withdrawals, insomnia, and overall pain, I finished one track, then a week later two more. Needless to say, the past 4 years have been a complete struggle. That’s life, you handle what youʼre given. The experience gave me a new outlook on music and what I wanna do with the rest of my time alive. My role in life is to create for others. I’ve made peace with that notion. So here is BRAVE.” –JOYRYDE
