Amy Lee has admitted she struggled with news of both Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell's tragic deaths earlier this year.

The Linkin Park front man took his own life aged 41 in July, following the Soundgarden star's own suicide aged 52 in May, and the Evanescence singer has revealed the two devastating deaths hit her hard.

Speaking to Billboard, she said: ''It's very sad and very difficult to watch people so close in our circle struggle that way and to actually lose them. That's something that rocked the world, but especially the rock industry.''

The 'Bring Me To Life' singer spoke candidly about her own struggles, and insisted her band's music - including new single 'Imperfection' should be a source of hope for their fan base if they are going through tough times.

She added: ''[I want them] to feel like they can connect [with] something that's hard to talk about - meaning pain, struggle. I think it's a misconception for people to think our music is depressing. It's hopeful; it's always been hopeful.

''I want that to be the message from us: that there is hope and that we're searching for something better ... We want to do what we can to reach our hand out and say, 'This life is worth living,' because I really do believe that.''

While Amy, 35, does want to reach out with her lyrics, she admitted she primarily writes for herself, and considers it emotional that she can reach out to other people with the songs.

She said: ''I have my own issues, my own flaws, my own struggles. I think a lot of the time that I'm writing songs [they] are [to] some degree motivational, like, 'Come on, pull out of it.' Most of the time, I'm talking to myself. It's a beautiful thing that it extends itself to helping other people.''