‘The Truth Is I’m Mentally Unwell’: Saskatchewan’s Colter Wall Takes ‘Indefinite Hiatus’ From Touring
For the past seven months, the country singer has been on the road in support of his fifth studio album, Memories and Empties.
Colter Wall
Colter Wall is prioritizing his mental health.
The Saskatchewan country singer-songwriter has taken to social media, explaining that his upcoming live shows will be cancelled.
"The truth is that I'm mentally unwell. Despite this, I have pushed myself to continue with touring," he writes. "As a result my mental health has only further declined."
After further discussions with his team, they have decided to cancel his remaining tour dates, as he takes “an indefinite hiatus from live music.”
Since last September, Wall has been on the road, performing across North America in support of his fifth studio album, Memories and Empties. At the top of the year, he played shows across the U.S., and at the time of his announcement, was set to perform four more shows — two in Indianapolis, one in Cincinnati and one in Detroit.
This isn’t the first time Wall has postponed live shows due to personal circumstances. Last February, he rescheduled a string of shows for October of that year, noting that “some time off the road for reasons of mental and physical health are greatly needed.”
When it comes to prioritizing mental health, Wall isn’t alone. Earlier this month, Toronto-born art-pop singer Allie X cancelled the rest of her 2026 tour dates, citing "struggling physically."
"Through the course of my touring career, I've learned there are times to push through and then there are times to give your body a break (no matter how much you don't want to disappoint). This is one of those times,” she shared on social media.
Nearly four years ago, Shawn Mendes made headlines after cancelling his Wonder tour in favour of healing and working on his mental health. With the promise of coming back stronger than ever, Mendes returned to the stage last year and has since embraced his home country, performed with groundbreaking rising stars like Tia Wood and advocated for children in Sudan and Palestine.
Recently, the weight of mental health has become a focus point in the Canadian music industry.
Last month, the first-ever comprehensive Canadian music mental health study, Soundcheck: Mental Health in the Canadian Music Industry, was released by Revelios. It outlined data from over 1,250 nationwide music professionals and included input from artists, crew members, managers, venue operators, educators, media professionals, festival staff and executives.
Almost unanimously, 94% of those who were surveyed believe that mental health issues are widespread, with 86% of respondents personally experiencing mental health challenges, and 95% have witnessed others struggling.
To move forward, Catherine Harrison, president & founder of Revelios, told Billboard Canada that systemic action is the way forward.
“We need sector-wide mental health literacy, communication skills, and peer networks so people across all roles can recognize risk early, reduce stigma, and intervene before harm escalates,” she said. “Well-being has to be structural, not individual — built into how the industry operates, not left to people to manage solely on their own.”
