Avicii: The Inside Story

Responsible for skyrocketing EDM into the mainstream with anthems such as Levels and Wake Me Up, Avicii was a truly successful and innovative artist.

When it was confirmed he had died, aged just 28, it was a shock to all and a very sad day for music. There’s no denying that Avicii was an amazingly talented songwriter and producer. However, in reality his death, unfortunately was not too surprising. For years, he was struggling with stress, mental health issues and drinking problems - all issues that spiralled out of control due to intense touring. It all became too much, and even after retiring from touring, some of his problems remained. “He just wanted to find peace”, stated his family.

Unfortunately, he was suffering for a long time, but was stuck in a cycle of feeling obliged to live the intense life of an artist. At this time, within the music industry there is not enough awareness about the harsh realities of touring and how it can slowly kill off an artist.

In a feature about Avicii in 2013, GQ nailed the perceptions we as a society perceive artists. “Most people would be overjoyed to have Tim Bergling's life. To have, 250-plus nights a year, audiences of thousands chanting your name, the limitless champagne and the piles of money.” However, even Tim himself did not want this.

This is where it all began. Tim Bergling, aged 16, posted his productions and remixes on the online forum of dance hero, Laidback Luke. He gained attention from promotor Ash Pournouri, who eventually became his manager and they signed a deal with Dejfitts Plays label. It was at this time that Ash promised Avicii success - “I'm going to make you the biggest artist; we're going to get there in two years”. This at the time was a massively attractive proposition for the young, naive artist. However, he was not aware of the life that he was about to lead. It was from this point on that the music industry swallowed Bergling up into a spiral of inescapable issues that he could only suffer with for so long.

Bergling, throughout his career never stopped having a deep passion for creating music, but he was not ready for the overwhelming lifestyle that went hand in hand with being an artist. "It's just like when it's right in the moment and you have that stupid bright light on you, It feels so awkward.” Naturally, being an introvert, living the life of an extrovert it is going to be a struggle, especially when rising to fame so quickly, so Tim began to drink to rid of nerves and stress. "I probably drink more now than I should," he says. "But I have a pace. I never drink two days in a row.” Alcohol was a medicine that he began to rely upon, not just to feel more confident but “to do all those shows without feeling completely exhausted.” Avicii in some ways missed out on some of his childhood - instead of having a gradual progression into adulthood, he was thrown straight into the deep end, flying all of the world with a team of people much older than him, playing to thousands of people each night.

“I just kind of went with all the punches that came along, because I was so extremely lucky to be able to do what I am doing.” He adds, “but I didn’t take the time to figure out what I wanted to do, and how I wanted to do it.” Bergling’s suffering was due to a combination of him getting over excited, and jumping into the luxurious life of an artist, as well as the music industry using Avicii’s talents to their advantage. Although Avicii had a close relationship with his manager, Ash’s intentions were always to make as much money as possible and create a world-famous brand. “There is no person like (him). He is obsessed about taking Tim to the next level and is obsessed with having success.” He definitely achieved success, obtaining big record deals and huge worldwide tours with massive headline slots which often demanded around $250,000. However, this came as a massive consequence to Bergling, who was pushed far out of his comfort zone and by 2012, he had played 550 shows in 4 years. Avicii’s roots lied purely in producing, rather than DJing, so he was essentially forced to learn how to DJ intensely in order to get onto the touring circuit. This diverted away from his true passions which were simply to make music. “I think I was running after an idea of happiness that wasn’t my own”. Instead it was people in the industry seeking success on the back of Bergling, who most likely had good intentions, thinking that he would have loved this lifestyle as a lot of his peers did.

As Avicii continued to become more famous and globally loved, he fell completely trapped into this lifestyle of constant touring and promotion. “I didn’t believe I could actually slow down. I didn’t believe I could tour any differently than this.” Bergling, to relieve this stress continued to drink whilst touring which consequently aggravated health problems, such as ongoing issues with his pancreas. This caused severe pain, and led to the cancellation of some big shows during the summer of 2014. His battle with retaining good physical and mental health continued into 2015, so he took a couple of months off to relax and escape his hectic, inescapable touring life. However, even then he couldn’t switch off “because my mind was still focused on when I was gonna start up touring again.” It was at this point where stress and mental health issues clearly embodied Bergling and the only option was to stop touring.

During this time, his second album, Stories was about to be released, so a tour was imminent. However, the prospect of this was too overwhelming, so he consequently cancelled all of the dates for the coming 8 months, a decision that was not easy and cost a lot of money. But it was vital that he retracted himself from the never ending spiral of touring. And from this point “he was determined to change his life”, according to his personal trainer. His team decided to shut his phone off, which “helped him out a lot”. Bergling focused all of his energy that was before being drained from him, to better himself. “I’ve taken my time now, gone to therapy… I feel a shit tonne better.” This is something he should have done a long time ago, but at this point he was on a journey to recovery. Now, Avicii’s third album was in the works. He and a crew of a number of musicians travelled around America, hitting unique spots to record, including a cliff side recording session in Arizona. Creating music, and collaborating with artists was always second nature to Bergling, and something that made him truly happy - It was an escape for him, a form of therapy.

However, this feeling of freedom was not long-lasting. The stress and anxiety slowly started creeping back into Bergling’s mind as the recording for the album neared the end. The crew’s final stop was Miami, in time for Avicii’s return to the touring circuit, headlining Ultra Music Festival. This was his first show in around 5 months, a very long time for a constantly on-the-road artist like Avicii, so the night was highly anticipated. It was clear that he was incredibly nervous as he was about to step on stage in front of thousands. “Straight away I got stressed out, I still don’t like this”. Just over a week later, he decided he would retire from touring for good. This was a decision that wasn’t taken lightly and made him feel terrible “because I saw how happy all the fans were, but I didn’t fucking like it.” He adds, “I’m standing up there, pretending I like something that I don’t like doing. That was just it for me. After that, I just decided, fuck, I’m going to quit”.

But, he still had an entire summer of touring which Ash insisted he did not back out of due to losing money and damaging the Avicii brand. After the continuous touring struggles, he finished his final show in Ibiza. This was a truly emotional night - a global cry for fans sad to see him retire, an overwhelmed team, reflecting on the rollercoaster journey they experienced, and of course Avicii - equally overwhelmed, but also relieved to leave this life behind him.

In just eight years, Avicii played 813 shows, an incredibly high number. He was swept under by the powerful, brutal force of the music industry, before he had the chance to prosper the nature of the life he was about to lead. Touring never got easier for Bergling and was the root to his personal struggles. However, this lifestyle left a permanent mark, and despite departing from touring, his problems didn’t go away.

Tim Bergling, committed suicide at just 28. He wanted to escape the problems that embodied him for years, and unfortunately this must have seemed like the only option. Avicii has not only left behind a legacy of good music, but he also left an a hugely important message for the world, particularly in music. Despite, seeming like a luxurious brilliant life, artists can struggle as much as anyone else. This case should also be a chilling reminder to the industry - never use an artist for personal gain, and ensure that they are know the extent of what they’re getting into. And mental illness is very much a serious thing - if someone is going through difficult times, we need to respect this and understand that they need to take measures to get better.