Slum Sociable's self-titled debut album, full of synths and dark lyrics, scored an almost-perfect review from Rolling Stone, but it almost didn't see the light of day.

Singer Miller Upchurch had stopped turning up to band meetings, wasn't answering his phone and was in the depths of depression.

"I was kind of just hiding away from everything," he said.

"It all felt a little bit too out of my league, I felt out of touch, I just didn't feel like doing anything, and that impacted our release schedule."

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Upchurch's struggles with mental health took a toll on his relationship with bandmate Ed Quinn, who found himself being dismissive and angry.

"I'm obviously wired a little bit differently, I just want to get things done, do things right now, and sort it out," Quinn said.

"I think just taking a step back and maybe being a bit more patient ... that's what I've learned."

Musicians, mental health and the startling statistics

The statistics around mental health and musicians are startling. Recording artists are 10 times more likely to have mental health problems.

As a consequence, some musicians have a life expectancy on average 20 years younger than the rest of the population, according to research by the University of Sydney's Professor Dianna Kenny.

"One of the big questions that people have been trying to understand is why is it that creative people generally have higher rates of mental health issues?" she said.

Professor Kenny said there was some evidence that creative people are more sensitive to stimulation, in a similar way to people experiencing a mental illness.

Combine that tendency with the high-pressure, high-profile and insecure nature of the music industry, and an unhealthy picture starts to emerge.

"In the pop music industry there are enormous stressors, there is the constant demand for new material," she said.

"The competition is so high, and the expectation of audiences is vast, because they expect perfection."

After decades in the industry as the drummer with New Zealand band Shihad, Tom Larkin knows all about the pressures of performing.

"It's very tough to continually put yourself out there, particularly if you're telling stories about your own experience, and have that heavily criticised," he said.

Producer and member of Shihad, Tom Larkin, is helping those in need. ( ABC News: Ruby Jones )

According to Larkin, much of the responsibility lies with the music industry itself, which he said is unregulated and previously took little responsibility for the wellbeing of artists.

"I think within the music industry we're just starting to realise how toxic it can be," he said.

Industry body APRA-AMCOS hosted a series of mental health panels this year, and said they were among the most popular events it had run.

Mental health panels on tour

Tom Larkin is about to take the panels to regional Australia, where musicians face their own set of mental health challenges.

"As a community if our leading lights stand up and talk about this, and make it normal to talk about, we're going to see a shift around what's expected of artists," he said, cautioning that it won't be quick or easy.

"The music industry is pretty resistant to training."

Miller Upchurch recently went public with his mental health struggles, in a heartfelt post on Slum Sociable's Facebook page.

The response he has had from friends and fans has been overwhelming.

"Some people said that they hadn't told anyone before, and they just decided to send us a message, because they felt connected to it," he said.

"People just want to feel connected to something."

Miller Upchurch and Tom Larkin in Melbourne. ( ABC News: Ruby Jones )

Upchurch said opening up had helped him manage his mental health, and Slum Sociable is now on the cusp of touring and promoting the album.

"I couldn't wait to be in this position and I'm just honestly so excited about doing it. It's like a dream," he said.

Quinn and Upchurch are now firmly back on the same page.

"It wasn't so long ago that I didn't think we would be playing live again, which is something that I'd loosely kind of come to accept," said Ed Quinn.

"I'm really excited to release this album that we've given absolutely everything to."