A MUSIC project is helping people with mental health issues tackle stigma.

Ensemble sees professional musicians paired with people who have struggled with their mental health to write songs based on their experiences.

Having performed the results for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, the group is now to host its first public concert.

John Paul was homeless when he became involved with Ensemble and said he was embarrassed by his mental health problems.

He worked with Glasgow singer-songwriter Siobhan Wilson to create his song, Normal.

The 33-year-old said: "I was suffering, hearing voices, but never told anyone about and basically that led to me losing my job and becoming homeless.

"My experience was when I told people about it they would judge me right away, even my doctor at one point.

"It stopped me working as people didn’t understand and when they saw me talking to myself, the trouble started, thinking I’d lost the plot.

"I think if people had an understanding of mental health I’d still be in that same job."

Thanks to his work with Ensemble and support from care provider Loretto Care, John Paul is now living in his own home.

John Paul, from Paisley, added: "Through sorting out my anger and mental health, becoming more confident, it’s made me a better person.

"I didn’t think at all I’d be able to do that at Ensemble, sit down and write a song, but gave a wee bit of trust and I started talking.

"I wrote the song on my first night there, so was a bit much for me when I went back, but can’t believe I did it.

"Siobhan was really nice, she really made me feel at ease and was good to talk to and work on the song together.

"My song is about being normal if there is such a thing as being normal."

Funded by See Me Scotland, the £20,000 project recruited Glasgow singer-songwriters Siobhan and Donna Maciocia, Ross Clark from band the Three Blind Wolves, and Steev Livingstone from the Errors.

They worked alongside people Loretto Care works for, such as staff, tenants and Wheatley Group customers to write songs based on their own experiences.

Ensemble held three song-writing blocks of three weeks each in the summer, involving 60 people.

Some 30 songs were written and three recorded professionally and produced by Andy Monaghan from Glasgow band Frightened Rabbit.

Siobhan said: "As soon as I heard about the project I was really keen to get involved.

"It's been a very moving and informative process as well as a wonderful experience.

"In society, we can feel scared to talk about mental health because of the stigma we might be subjected to.

"Because mental health can be a taboo, projects like this help normalise mental health issues by speaking about the subject through music.

"Hopefully the project will benefit the participants as they hear their creative thought process sung back to them, and benefit the outside world by providing an opportunity to see the world through the eyes of somebody who perhaps battles with or has battled in the past with mental health stigma in their lives."

Calum Irving, See Me director, said: “Mental health is a part of day to day life, just like music, so it’s great to bring the two together.

“Work like this shows that it is okay to express yourself and speak about how you are feeling, in whatever way suits you best.”

The songs are available to stream now and will be officially released for free download from January 25.

Track 1: How Am Ur

Track 2: Normal

Track 3: Silence

The songs will be performed on January 25 from 7pm at Saint Lukes in the Calton.

Free tickets are available from www.billetto.co.uk/en/events/ensemble-live-at-st-lukes-glasgow