So this is the story of how, this year, my friends pushed me in a big direction with the advice to go back into therapy, get back on medication and stabilize my life.

First, a little background: I have struggled with periods of intense depression since high school. In college, I began to seek help. After a period of prescription missteps, the diagnosis began to shift. What at first appeared to be depression complicated by anxiety issues revealed itself to be something else entirely: Bipolar disorder, with all its peaks and crashes. High clarity and uncontrollable energy followed by a plummet into days or weeks of utter despondency. I was [...]

I just don't know if I can commit to a new lady with a guitar again. I feel so burned, by the Tiffany Anders (she was going to save folk-pop!), the Gillian Welches, the Tara MacLeans, the Marit Peters… My God, Laura Veirs alone! Why did you leave me and go and put out a childrens' album, Laura Veirs? You used to write songs about heroin! So can I really do all this emotional work again, with Sharon Van Etten? Maybe, maybe not. I'll take a long look inside myself and see how strong I really am.