HARDY gets vulnerable on podcast, talks panic attacks, trauma therapy and burn out

On Tuesday, HARDY appeared on the second episode of new music podcast "God's Country" and discussed seeking therapy for panic attacks he suffered after a traumatic bus accident, as well as canceling shows last year to focus on healing his mental health.

"God’s Country," a new podcast from iHeartPodcasts and MeatEater, is hosted by brothers Dan and Reid Isbell. Also known as “The Brothers Hunt,” Dan and Reid Isbell are country music songwriters in Nashville and outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

The show features the Isbell duo interviewing country stars and songwriters about outdoor living and its influence on country music, discussing topics from hunting and fishing to sparks of lyrical inspiration. The podcast premiered on Jan. 16 with an episode interviewing Josh "Crispy Cartwheel" Thompson.

HARDY's appearance on the Jan. 23 episode features over 90 minutes of discussion with the reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year and "TRUCK BED" singer.

HARDY has been open with fans about struggling with anxiety and panic attacks in the midst of recovery from a tour bus crash in October 2022 in Nashville. HARDY explained the start of the panic attacks to the Isbell brothers, pinpointing the moment it all began for him.

“I'd taken a break from drinking, which was, I think, had a lot to do with it, cause it, I wasn't necessarily what you'd say, like, medicating, you know what I mean…" HARDY said. "I'd taken a couple months off, and then, dude, out of nowhere, twice in one week, I had a panic attack for the first time…"

HARDY added that the attack wasn't induced by anything, but it felt like such a punch in the chest that it seemed like a heart attack. "I credited a lot of that to the wreck and the trauma that came from that….not processing it the right way.”

From there, HARDY said he did a three day intensive trauma therapy program. It featured over 18 hours of therapy over the course of the 72 hours. This program was right after HARDY cancelled shows on his "the mockingbird & THE CROW" tour, which he shared in an Instagram post in October 2023.

"This is why I canceled the shows… through talking about stuff, I was like, and you know, I don't love being on the road all year and playing 80, 90 shows a year…I started talking about it and, about how much it's affected me and my mental health and everybody is different.”

HARDY originally started in the music business as a songwriter for some of country music's greats (including Morgan Wallen, Blake Shelton, Florida Georgia Line). He later transitioned into his career as a solo artist.

“Once I started [playing shows as a solo artist] it was like I couldn't stop because I was having success … I just got burnt [out] and so I'm still gonna play shows, but I’m just not gonna play as many in the future and it's gonna be a little more systematic..." HARDY said.

"I've learned that I'm always going to play shows, and I love playing shows, but it got to a point where it was too much for me," he added, saying that playing too many shows was just as much a cause of his anxiety as the trauma from the bus wreck.

The Isbell brothers also discussed HARDY's 2023 album, "the mockingbird & THE CROW." HARDY said that the album's title track was actually the last song he wrote for the record.

"I was riding down the river one day… there was a crow flying over the river and there was a mockingbird on its a**… I just wrote that down like “the mockingbird and the crow”... From there, HARDY was on tour and hanging out with songwriters and producers Jordan Schmidt and Brett Tyler.

The trio wanted to write a rock song for the new record. "And then I literally opened up my idea of my ideas and the mockingbird and the crow was like the last thing that I'd written down…I was like, ‘Damn this would perfectly encapsulate the record’.”

From there, the album took on a life of its own with an extensive tour to its name.

HARDY released new single "QUIT!!" on Jan. 12, his latest release since the album. He will be embarking on a summer tour of the same name with Kip Moore.

To learn more about HARDY and his upcoming tour, fans can visit hardyofficial.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: HARDY appears on podcast ‘God’s Country’, talks mental health, therapy