Heal The Scene Updates
Stories from our staff and community on progress towards our mission of healing the scene, including behind-the-scenes goals and results, interviews from supporters and volunteers, special podcasts, and more.
How does our Support Wall work?
HeartSupport’s Support Wall can inflate in just seven seconds, immediately providing a place of physical connection for event attendees.
Listeners opened up about their mental health for the first time at Warped Tour Long Beach
HeartSupport provided on-the-ground mental health support at Warped Tour Long Beach, changing hundreds of lives in the process.
Metal vocalists join Melissa Cross to respond to fan mental health comments
Revered vocal coach Melissa Cross is helping metal vocalists respond to vulnerable fan comments in this new series of videos.
HeartSupport continues growth by supporting 1,629 music fans in the second quarter of 2025
HeartSupport has reached 1,629 music fans in the first half of 2025, with plans for continued expansion of their unique peer-led mental health outreach.
HeartSupport helps fuel Warped Tour’s return with mental health support
Warped Tour is back— and so is HeartSupport’s presence providing on the ground support.
HeartSupport teams up with headphone brand Heavys to bring songs of hope at top quality
Heavy metal headphone brand Heavys has partnered with HeartSupport on a custom shell, with proceeds supporting mental health.
HeartSupport launches innovative band training program to equip musicians to talk about mental health
Any band can be trained to talk to fans about mental health through HeartSupport’s training program.
Music and mental health nonprofit HeartSupport earns accreditation with the Better Business Bureau
HeartSupport, the music and mental health nonprofit founded by August Burns Red frontman Jake Luhrs, has just received formal accreditation with the Better Business Bureau — signifying an organization that operates within the highest caliber of ethics.
Coheed & Cambria’s Josh Eppard announces mental health collaboration between Drum Set Confessional and HeartSupport
Coheed & Cambria’s drummer Josh Eppard has announced a special collaboration between his organization Drum Set Confessional and the metal community-driven mental health nonprofit HeartSupport.
Walking into the light at Boardwalk Rock Fest 2025
At Boardwalk Rock Fest 2025, HeartSupport shared the festival grounds with bands like Def Leppard and Rob Zombie to bring light to struggling music fans.
HeartSupport brings solidarity and vulnerability to Welcome to Rockville
HeartSupport made a massive impact at Welcome to Rockville 2025, offering mental health support and solidarity through over 700 conversations.
Support Calls return with customized compassion through a year of peer connection
Support Calls are a unique year-long peer support relationship between a supporter and someone who needs a little extra mental health help.
Asking Alexandria fans find solidarity through HeartSupport
At an Asking Alexandria concert in Buffalo, New York, Asking Alexandria fans found mental health support and solidarity at the HeartSupport booth.
Citizen Soldier announces the 2025 HeartSupport Tour
Citizen Soldier is partnering with HeartSupport to bring mental health support to fans on their 2025 tour with 10 Years and Adelitas Way.
How HeartSupport is using technology to revolutionize mental health support online
HeartSupport’s unique suite of social media response tools, Porter, is currently patent-pending. It allowed the organization to respond to 4,000 requests for help in 2024 alone.
In-person meetups: stories of connection from our community!
Sometimes, HeartSupport community members get the opportunity to meet up in person. Here are three stories of connection in early 2025!
Imminence brings mental health help to fans in new concert experience with HeartSupport
Metalcore band Imminence partnered with HeartSupport to meet fans exactly where they were with mental health support. One attendee, Megan, courageously shares how she was impacted.
Starting strong: HeartSupport exceeds 80% of organizational goals for the first quarter of 2025
2025 started strong for HeartSupport with the relaunch of Support Calls and our first event of the year, partnered with Imminence.
The History of HeartSupport
August Burns Red’s Jake Luhrs founded HeartSupport in 2011 as a way to offer fans mental health support long after each concert came to a close. In the years since, over 50,000 metal listeners have opened up about their mental health and received support.
A venue’s comeback story fuels mental health support at Christmas Burns Red 2024
The Champ’s comeback story led to them hosting Christmas Burns Red in 2024, donating $1 from every ticket sale to support HeartSupport’s mental health mission.