This week, Daniel has broken his silence on his nervous breakdown, struggles with self-medication and rehab stint in episode one of Inside the Mind of Daniel Johns.
“I haven’t been there at all to promote FutureNever" the musician announced, “so for it to become the chart success it has is testament to the people who have been supporting me and I’m eternally grateful for the love.”
“For probably the first time in my life, I’ve sacrificed the art for both my physical and mental health. I had a nervous breakdown, I really f*cked up — I’ve been processing pain and guilt.”
“I’m going on the record now to talk about the dark but also the light. This is a healing journey, but I also need to talk about the music because it’s the only thing that pulled me through.”
The musician has also spoken candidly about his recent personal battles in the first episode of Inside the Mind of Daniel Johns, a three-part docuseries that premiered on Monday night.
Daniel released FutureNever in April and the album was met with immediate success, becoming the longest reigning Australian album in the ARIA Top 20 in 2022, however, its success was shadowed by personal struggles.
The album, which was his first solo record in seven years was released the same day Daniel left rehab.
In a sneak peek of the docuseries, Daniel also revealed that he had approached Silverchair bandmates Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou to play on his album, but they both declined.
“I asked them not out of necessity, I asked them because I wanted to make it clear that I don’t have an issue with them as people - I just didn’t want to play under the banner of Silverchair” Daniel explained.
“Once I’d established myself as an artist outside of Silverchair. I asked them to come again and then when they didn’t want to, I didn’t care.”
Alongside the docuseries, Daniel has also released What if the Future Never Happened a semi-autobiographical featurette as well as a Melbourne-based art exhibition Past, Present & FutureNever which will run from August 26 to October 9.
$5 from every ticket to the exhibition will be donated to FutureNeverFund - Daniel’s newly created charitable fund that focuses on mental health, racial inequality, diversity in the arts and animal welfare.