An Episode About the Grind, Singer Zayna Youssef of Sweet Pill, and YOU

Yes, the episode is about a rock singer but it’s also about any of us who grind away for the benefit of our work and the detriment of ourselves. The sudden cancellation of the band Sweet Pill’s extensive tour promoting their sophomore album Still There’s a Glow came as a shock to fans and the press. But it makes total sense given that singer Zayna Youssef had been working herself into the ground with writing, recording, designing merch and album covers and backstage passes, and everything else she could think of to make her band an even bigger success than what their first album brought. Some things she didn’t do: be kind to herself, give as much are to herself as she did the new album, or savor the success they had already had. The result was a mental and physical crisis point, a running out of gas on the part of the whole band that made them slam the emergency brake on the prospect of going out on a long tour and working even harder. In a very candid and often very funny interview, Zayna tells us how things got to this point, what she’s learned about the grind that can lead to better outcomes down the road, what her new album is ultimately about, and how the now-rescheduled tour will be different. Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of Maximum Fun. Check out our I’m Glad You’re Here and Depresh Mode merchandise at the brand new merch website MaxFunStore.com! Hey, remember, you’re part of Depresh Mode and we want to hear what you want to hear about. What guests and issues would you like to have covered in a future episode? Write us at [email protected]. Depresh Mode is on BlueSky, Instagram, Substack, and you can join our Preshies Facebook group.  Help is available right away. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALK Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741. International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/joindepresh