Colter Wall, who first caught the attention of traditional country fans with his 2017 self-titled album and rough-hewn songs like “Kate McCannon” and “Motorcycle,” has canceled his 2026 tour, citing the need to take care of his mental health.
The singer-songwriter from Saskatchewan, Canada, shared the news with fans in a post on social media on Wednesday morning.
“The truth is that I am mentally unwell,” Wall wrote in part. “Despite this, I have pushed myself to continue with touring. As a result my mental health has only further declined.”
Wall said that, after discussing the matter with his team, he is scrapping the rest of his 2026 tour in support of his album Memories and Empties. “We have decided to cancel the remaining shows and take an indefinite hiatus from live music,” he wrote. “Thank you for your understanding and support.”
In a 2017 interview with Rolling Stone that focused on his self-titled album, Wall talked about the intersection between country music and folk. “I call myself a folksinger, so it should be stripped down and not a lot of production,” he said. “The mission statement going in was less is more. This is a record about stories and about songwriting.”
Wall’s decision to prioritize his mental health over the road isn’t uncommon in the country music sphere. Artists from Ella Langley and Hardy to Wyatt Flores have all been forthright with fans about the emotional and mental toll that touring takes on a performer.“My dreams were coming true so fast, I didn’t even have time to think about them,” Flores told Rolling Stone in a 2024 feature. “I’d just wonder, ‘Why was I even dreaming about that?’ and that’s a bad mindset to have when you’re getting to do something that you’ve wanted to do since you were a kid.”
