On the first episode of our Level Up podcast in 2022, we've invited Marcus Lee, a promising Singaporean artist, songwriter, and mental health advocate, to join us as we dive deeper into the topic of artists' mental health. We've been a fan of his work ethic and how he's managed to keep the ball rolling as an independent musician for a while now, but we especially wanted to pick his brain on the importance of mental health for artists at every stage of the game. On the outside, Marcus seems to be the perfect poster boy for the local burgeoning Mandopop scene. Blessed with good looks and a sunny warm disposition, his comforting love songs and ballads have proved themselves great additions to our songbooks in recent years. Hence, there's no doubt why he's been labelled an artist to watch, even taking home the 'Artist of the Year (non-English)' award at 2021's SCAPE Youth Music Awards. Yet unlike previous generations of Mandopop stars who have chosen to adhere to the more conventional pop route, Marcus has chosen the path less trodden, choosing to release his debut album For You, I Can 為了你，我可以 independently and helming everything from the album's conceptualisation to its promotion, and even playing two sold-out shows...all during an unprecedented pandemic. Given Marcus' unique position in pulling all this off, and his passionate and vocal stance on mental health, I felt he was the perfect artist to interview as we continue our Mental Health topic on the Level Up Podcast, providing an artist's perspective on the nuanced issues and struggles that creatives face in this particular line of work. Tune in as we discuss topics such as investing in ones' mental health, self doubt in the face of creative competition, and of course the much-feared imposter syndrome all in this week's podcast! Links and Resources: Subscribe to our Patreon ‘Level Up’ Tier for forthcoming ‘Level Up’ cheat sheets and materials Subscribe to our mailing list for access to the first three episodes’ cheat sheets! More about the podcast Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for Podcast updates Hang with us on Asian Pop Weekly Follow Marcus on Instagram or Tiktok! Read our feature based on this podcast interview with Marcus on Asian Pop Weekly Don’t forget to subscribe/follow our podcast if you enjoy levelling up with us! And please leave a review so we can keep helping even more artists!