Steve Angello, a member of Swedish House Mafia, has opened up about the death of his close friend Avicii.

Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, was found dead on April 20th in Muscat, Oman, after taking his own life with broken glass. The tragic death came after he had previously suggested his issues with alcohol where blighting his career.

The Swedish DJ, who was behind hits including ‘Wake Me Up’, struggled with the stresses of unrelenting touring and the lifestyle that comes with it. For Angello, who himself has experienced long stints on the road, the death of Avicii hit him hard. During a recent interview, Angello offered some home truths about how hard life on the road can become for artists and their mental health: “For us, Tim wasn’t an artist, he was a friend,” he said when asked about his death. “So it’s a bit different when you look at this ‘just the artist’ situation. For me it’s more about thinking about the siblings, the parents losing their child.

Delving deeper into some of the suggested reasons for Avicii’s state of mind when he committed suicide, Angello said: “We artists, don’t feel well, we are a bit unstable and crazy,” he said before offering some explanation into the intense pressure and expectations that come with the tour. “I know how tough and taxing it can be when you are coming from 60 gigs, meeting your family, barely had anything to eat in two months. It gets a bit unhealthy in general.”

“I also think that social media can be a bit scary because suddenly you have direct contact with your fans, which can be a beautiful thing,” he added. “The problem is when it’s something negative they can reach you directly. You have to build a kind of alter-ego and make a distance between that,” he continued.

“It’s easy to pretend that everything is okay when you are posting nice photos on social media, while in reality, it might not be that way,” he said. “People that aren’t close to you might not notice it all the time. However, it’s a hard thing, even if you know that someone isn’t feeling well, it can be hard to take that step and walk up to someone and ask how they are feeling.”

[MORE] – The tragic cause of Avicii’s death has been revealed.

For anybody who might be struggling to deal with mental health issues, here are some helpline numbers for you to talk to:

Mind

Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems.

Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm)

Website: www.mind.org.uk

Anxiety UK

Charity providing support if you’ve been diagnosed with an anxiety condition.

Phone: 03444 775 774 (Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5.30pm)

Website: www.anxietyuk.org.uk

No Panic

Voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and OCD. Offers a course to help overcome your phobia/OCD. Includes a helpline.

Phone: 0844 967 4848 (daily, 10am-10pm)

Website: www.nopanic.org.uk

Rethink Mental Illness

Support and advice for people living with mental illness.

Phone: 0300 5000 927 (Mon-Fri, 9.30am-4pm)

Website: www.rethink.org