HUNTRESS Vocalist Jill Janus Speaks Out About Mental Illness, Cancer Diagnosis
Thursday, 16th July 2015
In an interview with Revolver, HUNTRESS singer Jill Janus spoke openly about her lifelong struggle with Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder. Earlier this year, she was also diagnosed with Stage 1 uterine cancer in the midst of recording their soon-to-be released album, Static. Janus is now cancer-free due to a hysterectomy performed two weeks ago.
In the interview, Janus states, “I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder first, when I was 20. I started to show signs of it when I was 13, though, and I struggled with it through high school. But it started to get dangerous in my early teens. By the time I was 20 and living in Manhattan, it was very, very difficult for me. That’s when I was admitted into a mental health facility and was diagnosed bipolar with schizoaffective disorder, which progressed into schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder.”
“During the process of writing and recording our third album, I began to feel like something bad was growing within me…I had a procedure, and my doctor found early stage cancer in my uterus.” Janus is now recovering from a successful surgery at home. “I’m grateful to REVOLVER Magazine for publishing this interview. I was encouraged by my bandmates to take my struggle and weave it into songs on the new album. When I formed HUNTRESS, I was concerned with the stigma surrounding mental illness, especially for women in the music industry. But I’ve accomplished so much in just a few years. Writing one record a year, touring relentlessly and attempting to maintain my sanity has been, at times, very painful for myself and those close to me. Yet I’ve proven anything is possible if you truly believe in yourself. Speaking out about my mental illness and cancer diagnosis has given me a chance to encourage others to live for their purpose and not be held back by their illness. The vultures can wait.”
HUNTRESS’ newest album, Static, is set to be released on September 25th through Napalm Records.
