Biffy’s Simon and secret depression
But now he’s back and fit
Ayr ’ s ve r y own tattooed rock god has battled back from the grip of depression.
Simon Neil took the brave decision to make his secret anguish public.
Things were so bad he and his school teacher wife Francesca spent two months in Los Angeles to help his recovery.
The 36- year- old Biffy Clyro guitarist sank into despair after the deaths of his gran, the Christmas Day passing of his best friend’s brother, his first tour manager and artwork designer.
He said: “When you are on the road you are in a bubble and not dealing with things happening back home.
“It was a tough few years, losing people close to me, and because I hadn’t dealt with it, that was coming through in the music.”
Simon married stunning English teacher Francesca Pieroni at her local church St Columba’s in Ayr nearly three years ago.
He revealed he started meditating to boost his mental state.
Simon said: “We used to party a lot when we were younger. Now I don’t touch any drugs or anything.
“I try to stay positive, be surrounded by happy people and happy thoughts.”
The band’s new album Ellipsis is out on July 8 and they will play to 35,000 at Glasgow’s Bellahouston Park in August.
Simon will also bring out a solo album next year.
Of his torment he said he at one stage feared he could not write songs any more.
Simon admitted: “I had a bit of a do.
“Before that our very first tour manager died of leukaemia.
“Storm ( Thorgerson, art work creator) died, my gran died, my best friend’s brother died on Christmas Day.
“It felt like when things couldn’t get any worse, they just kept getting worse.”
“I was just in a terrible headspace. It’s just the way I am.
“I needed to shed a skin in a serious way last year. We’d done more things than I could ever have dreamed of and I still felt slightly unfulfilled and unhappy.”
His return to health in 2013 was aided by his new wife Francesca as they relaxed in California.
He added: “It happened when I least expected it.
“I was sat at the piano and wrote three songs, sending them to the boys, going, ‘ I’m really excited by these,’ and they got back, saying, ‘ They’re f****** unbelievable’.”