King of Prussia native Jason Karaban was 16 when he left home for Los Angeles to pursue music, writes Hobart Rowland for the Main Line Today.
Over the next years, he wrote for TV and films and collaborated with famous musicians such as Ani DiFranco and Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner.
But decades later, Karaban was homeless, living on the streets of Los Angeles for three years.
“I was diagnosed with bipolar depression close to 20 years ago,” he said. “I’d have these manic episodes for days and months – and that turned into years.”
He was initially found on the streets by a man who knew his old band. However after a video was published of the musician, his ex-wife and friends tracked him down and started him on the road to recovery.
Now, Karaban has a new album, Awhile, the first one in over 12 years.
“Before I lost my home, I managed to record a little bit here and there,” he said. “I wasn’t planning on making a record, but the stuff I did record made it onto Awhile. It’s a collection of songs left over from that time period.”
Read more about Jason Karaban’s struggles with mental health and return to music in the Main Line Today.
