Arlo Parks cancels US tour dates due to “debilitating” mental health issues
Arlo Parks has cancelled a number of her forthcoming US tour dates to protect her mental health. “I am broken,” she said in a statement.
The singer began a run of shows in the States at the start of the month, but said that her mental health has “deteriorated to a debilitating place” and left her “burnt out”.
As such, eight gigs between September 14 and 24 have been cancelled for the singer to fly home to London and recover. The tour will then recommence in Portland, Oregon on September 26.
“I’ve been on the road on and off for the last 18 months, filling every spare second in between and working myself to the bone,” Parks wrote.
“The people around me started to get worried but I was anxious to deliver and afraid to disappoint my fans and myself. I pushed myself unhealthily, further and harder than I should’ve.”
She added: “I don’t take decisions like this lightly but I am broken and I really need to step out, go home and take care of myself.
“I will do everything I can to make this up to you – for now you can get refunds at your point of purchase. I’m forever thankful to everyone who continues to show up for me, what a dream to have fans like you guys – I’ll be back – love AP.”
See the statement and the planned future US dates below.
pic.twitter.com/4MKWB3LdQy
— Arlo Parks (@arloparks) September 16, 2022
SEPTEMBER 2022
26 – Portland, Crystal Ballroom
27 – Seattle, The Showbox
29 – San Francisco, The Warfield
OCTOBER 2022
2 – Los Angeles, The Fonda Theatre
4 – Tempe, Marquee Theatre
10 – New Orleans, The Joy Theater
12 – Atlanta, The Eastern
Parks follows a number of other young British artists in cancelling recent tour dates due to mental health issues.
Last week, Wet Leg updated fans on why they didn’t perform two of their recent US tour dates, citing “mental and physical health” concerns.
“It’s been an amazing year playing our music all over the world but our busy touring schedule finally got the better of us this time,” they wrote. “I just want you guys to know that it wasn’t an easy decision at all and I’m sorry I didn’t post anything about it sooner. Our mental and physical health are such easy things to overlook when everything is so exciting and so busy, you barely have a moment to check in with yourself.”
Sam Fender also recently pulled a set of US dates, writing: “It seems completely hypocritical of me to advocate discussion on mental health and write songs about it if I don’t take the time to look after my own mental health.
“I’ve neglected myself for over a year now and haven’t dealt with things that have deeply affected me. It’s impossible to do this work on myself while on the road, and it’s exhausting feigning happiness and wellness for the sake of business.”
This week, Disclosure’s Howard Lawrence also pulled out of the duo’s forthcoming Australian tour, saying that he “need[s] to take some time to look after myself”.