ASW is a mental health advocate who has struggled with bipolar disorder and spent quarantine volunteering for Crisis Text Line
His monthly livestream series ‘The Dahlia Experience’ has raised nearly $5,000 for Crisis Text Line
“A Garden Overrun” Ep001: Can you drive with bipolar disorder? #mentalhealth #bipolar #bipolardisorder #musician #talk #loveyou #music #truth
Experimental producer ASW has dedicated his art and career as a musician to spearheading the conversation surrounding mental health and advocating for those who struggle with it.
Coinciding with the forthcoming release of his Dahlia EP and successful fundraising campaign with Crisis Hot Line, the Seattle-based producer has launched his own TikTok miniseries to continue raising awareness.
As someone diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Wagner has felt that conversations surrounding mental health, regardless of severity, ought to become as accepted as discussing the weather amongst creatives.
In light of this, for the month of August, Wagner is working with data aggregate Answer the Public to select over 20 questions and misconceptions about bipolar disorder for the focus of his latest campaign. Throughout the discussion, Wagner will recount from his own experiences in his TikTok mini-series dubbed A Garden Overrun.
“We've lost many musicians to what has never been said,” Wagner says. He hopes that sharing his experience with vulnerability might show others that it is okay to chat about invisible illnesses and bring them to light.
Wagner’s TikTok series is named after the single of the same name off of forthcoming Dahlia EP, a poetic translation of Wagner’s struggle with mental health. Dahlia paints moody soundscapes that blend alternative rock, psychedelia, progressive house, and more to envelope his signature sound.
Wagner introduced fans to Dahlia earlier this summer via his livestream series, The Dahlia Experience, which has raised nearly $5,000 for Crisis Text Line via broadcast performances and continues to air monthly.
Follow ASW on TikTok to tune into his new miniseries A Garden Overrun.
Catch ASW on tour!
August 21: The Underground (Seattle, WA)
October 3: Supernova (Seattle, WA)
ABOUT ASW
After remixing Galantis and Icona Pop and tracks with CADE and FrankMusik through the production duo Ari, Pacific Northwest raised Alex Wagner has split off to revive his solo project ASW. This new exploration of ASW combines alternative rock, psychedelia, progressive house, and more all under one hood to tell stories he’s wanted to tell his whole life.
As a proud gay man who has struggled with bipolar disorder, Wagner has dedicated his art and music towards raising funds and awareness for Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit that acts as a text-based resource for those in crisis.
Following his bipolar disorder diagnosis in 2013, Wagner was placed on an involuntary hold for a week in a hospital’s mental health wing. Since then, his mental health recovery led him to volunteer 200 hours over the last year with CTL, listening to people and bringing them to a state of calm. In the midst of an isolating global pandemic that saw the number of people with symptoms of mental health disorders climb from 10% to over 41% in less than two years, Wagner’s mission is to soothe those struggling with his volunteerism and music.
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