Lewis Capaldi recently came forward about having anxiety and Tourette syndrome, but because he was exhibiting symptoms before he was diagnosed, he admits people mistakenly thought he was on drugs.
Lewis told The Guardian he unknowingly suffered panic attacks while doing his biggest arena shows in 2020, which altered his mental state, and struggled playing guitar. “When I look back on it, it makes sense,” he said. “I’m like: of course you were terrified — they were the biggest shows of your life.”
Lewis recalled reading headlines from people peddling rumors he was on cocaine. He cracked, “I’m like: I’m already an anxious person. Do you really think I’m going to smash loads of cocaine before I go and stand in front of 12,000 people? This isn’t the f***ing 70s. I’m not Tommy Lee. I can’t handle that.”
Lewis said he felt relief when the pandemic shut down the touring industry, thus canceling his upcoming tour with Niall Horan, so he moved in with his parents and began working on his sophomore album, Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent. The album’s due in May.
Lewis shared how he feels about returning to touring now that the industry’s opened back up. “I do feel pressure, I absolutely feel it,” he confessed but attested he is “trying to go easy on myself a little bit with it.”
He also revealed the early advice Ed Sheeran gave him, which was to watch out for family and friends with ulterior motives. Ed had told him, “Fame doesn’t change you; it changes everyone around you.”
“It was like the most doomsday conversation I’ve ever had in my life,” Lewis cracked. “I have experienced that for sure, but it’s obviously not been as intense as it was for him. I’m very suspicious of people anyway.”
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