As It Is parts ways with longtime guitarist

If you’re a fan of As It Is, then you may notice that someone will be missing from the stage during the group’s last set to tour dates. On Monday (Oct. 9), the British band announced that they had parted way with longtime guitarist Andy Westhead. News of Westhead’s exit began when a fan took to Twitter to make sure the musician was okay after not being present at a recent show.

Westhead responded to the inquiry with “I guess the others didn’t think you guys were worth an explanation either – I wish the others would allow me to be there.” A few hours after the post was made public, the remaining members of the group (Patty Walters, Patrick Foley, Benjamin Langford-Biss, Alistair Testo) released an unofficial press statement about Westhead’s abrupt departure. According to the letter, the band wanted to reveal the news to their longtime followers, but they were hoping to “make one with Andy’s full involvement and approval.” That ended up not being the case when Westhead went forward with his response to the fan’s question.

According to the statement, issue between the band members and Westhead began in August when they realized that they could no longer work with Westhead. As the letter goes on to explain, “feelings and differences had been building up for at least a year” and even though they tried to make things better, things did not improve. According to the group, they constantly conversed with Westhead, reiterating that the reason for them moving forward without him all stemmed from the same issue and were surprised when Westhead took to social media to throw the other band members under the bus. As It Is’ full statement about Westhead’s exit can be read here.

As It Is is currently in the middle of Neck Deep’s “The Peace and the Panic” UK/ European tour. After wrapping up their time on the tour in late October, As It Is will join Waterparks on their “Made in America” tour which will find them performing across North America during the months of November and December. Earlier this year, As It Is released their sophomore album, Okay.

Former Asking Alexandria frontman officially returns to band

In a shocking update, Asking Alexandria has announced that former frontman Danny Worsnop has returned to the band, replacing Denis Stoff. On Friday (Oct. 21), founding member/guitarist Ben Bruce made the revelation in an eight-and-a-half minute clip. About a minute into the Facebook live video, Bruce confirms that the band, and Stoff, had departed ways; barely two years after the Make Me Famous singer joined the group. Bruce explains that the band did not kick Stoff out, but rather, the former singer just stopped speaking to them all together.

“Basically, to a cut a long story short, we didn’t kick Denis out of the band. He just stopped talking to us,” Bruce explains in the clip. “Everything seemed fine and then he just stopped responding. I texted him a bunch, loads of emails back and forth, no response whatsoever.”

As the video continues, we hear Bruce’s side of the story as well as if he regretted adding Stoff to the lineup for the year and a half that he was with them. “Do I regret the last year and a half I spent touring the world with Denis? Absolutely not. Do I regret releasing and writing The Black? Absolutely not. Do I go back on anything I said? Absolutely not. The Black was a very honest and open record and that is I felt at the time, how we all felt at the time. We’ve moved on, we’ve moved upwards. I’m not gonna sit here and talk shit on Denis, he came into this band and he was amazing for us at the time. We had a blast with him, we had the best time ever.”

But one good thing came out of Stoff’s not-so-sublte departure; original singer Worsnop and the rest of the guys of Asking Alexandria have buried the hatchet. Last month, Worsnop had teased posted on social media that he was on his way to visit Bruce and From First To Last’s Matt Good to “maybe play a little music.”

“Obviously over the last sort of few months we’ve rekindled our relationship with Danny and what happened in the past sucked and it hurt us, obviously I said things and Danny has said things—that happens,” says Bruce in the video. “It was in the past and it was shit. But at the end of the day, we’ve been best friends for a decade and that’s why this is the move that’s right for us. Right for us as a band. Right for us as people and friends and right for us as Asking Alexandria. This is full circle. This is right back where we started and why we started the band.”

Worsnop left the band in early 2015 when he decided “to pursue other musical interests” in the form of his band We Are Harlot. Shortly after Worsnop’s departure, the remaining members enlisted Stoff to take over vocals for not only their live shows, but also for their recently released record, The Black.

Bruce’s Facebook live stream can currently be viewed here, while the complete transcript of the video, courtesy of The PRP, can be found here. Asking Alexandria is set to hit the road for Sumerian Records’ “10 Years of the Black” tour. The British band will travel across the country with Born of Osiris, I See Stars, After the Burial, Upon A Burning Body, and Bad Omens. The trek will kick off on Oct. 25 at the Showbox Sodo in Seattle and wrap up on Dec. 6 at Livewire in Scottsdale, Ariz. The complete list of tour dates can be seen below.

SUMERIAN RECORDS’ 10 YEARS OF THE BLACK TOUR

10/25 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
10/27 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
10/28 – Boise, ID  @ Knitting Factory
10/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
10/31 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
11/01 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
11/04 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
11/06 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
11/07 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix
11/09 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
11/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Electric Factory
11/12 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
11/13 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre
11/14 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
11/15 – Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
11/16 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live
11/18 – Norfolk, VA @ NorVa Theatre
11/19 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend
11/20 – Orlando, FL @ The Plaza Live
11/21 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution Live
11/23 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz
11/25 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
11/26 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheater
11/27 – Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory
11/28 – Lubbock, TX @ Lonestar Pavilion
11/29 – Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater
12/01 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
12/02 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA
12/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
12/04 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
12/06 – Scottsdale, AZ @ Livewire

Underøath Tease a ‘Rebirth’

Is there an Underøath reunion in the future?

With the new video that was posted on their official Facebook page, the band is giving hope that there might be.

Earlier today, all the social media accounts for the band uploaded an image which read “Rebirth is coming.” The teaser that was posted on Facebook features audio in the back that isn’t very clear and just might be played in reverse. An Underøath fan probably thought the same thing and decided to reverse the audio. What once was a fuzzy combination of words was soon replaced by “Drowning in my Sleep.”

What does it mean? Is there a new song in the works? Will they be reuniting for something special like a tenth anniversary tour? Who knows, at least right now.

Check out both the video from the band and the reversed audio posted on SoundCloud below.

Speculation of a reunion has been running wild lately. The band’s breakthrough album, They’re Only Chasing Safety, turned ten last year while Define The Great Line will celebrate its decade of being out in 2016.

Earlier this year during an interview with MindEqualsBlown, former lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain gave some hope when he said “if the star aligned” and that if they did decided to go out on a tour, it would be a “full tour” not just a couple of days here or there.

“It’s really if the star aligned. No one is against doing it. I’m still out here doing this. I would take a break for a month to do a full U.S. tour. I think for me, it would have to be a full tour,” said Chamberlain.

Mirroring his former bandmate’s comments, guitarist Tim McTague told Alternative Press during an interview, “I don’t think any of us are necessarily opposed, it’s always just [up to] our schedules. None of us left the band hating it; none of us don’t like each other. If anything, we talk about how we all miss it. I think something like that is 100 percent possible.”

There’s always hope, and it looks like it might be coming our way soon.

Spencer Smith Officially Leaves Panic! at the Disco

For anyone who has been to a Panic! at the Disco show over the past two years, they would instantly notice that a key and original member of the band was no longer sitting at the drums, but now, that absence has become permanent.

Today, now former-Panic! drummer Spencer Smith took to the band’s website to reveal that he has officially left the band. In a lengthy post, Smith writes to fans how grateful he was to be in the band, to be with his “family” and all the things that came with it, but felt it was the right time to leave especially since he is still recovering from the addictions that had plagued him.

Back in 2013, the band had unveiled that Smith had been battling alcohol and prescription drug addiction and would be missing their arena tour for their latest release, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die. In the post, he writes that he has now been “two years sober from prescription medication” and is now “working on a year sobriety from alcohol.”

Read a small portion of the post below or click the link under to read the full letter.

A MESSAGE FROM SPENCER…

To our fans…After 10 years of being a part of this unbelievable journey it saddens me to say that I will be leaving Panic. This was not an easy decision to come to, but after a lot of thinking it became clear that this is what’s right for me and the band. I love this band with all my heart, and getting to see it grow from 4 kids in my parents garage to what it is now has been incredible. I loved it all. But, at a certain point, I realized that I wasn’t able to be there for the band the way I wanted to be, and more importantly, the way they needed me to be. I consider myself extremely lucky to have been surrounded by the people I have been all these years.

To read more click here.

The Ghost Inside Part Ways with Guitarist

Fans of The Ghost Inside were given a little bit of a shock earlier today when the band announced that founding member, Aaron Brooks, was no longer in the band.

Taking to Facebook, the Los Angeles-based group shared the standard response to a departure by saying the guitarist/ backing vocalist had left and that they wish him the best in his future endeavors.

“The Ghost Inside is parting ways with guitar player, Aaron Brooks. The band wishes him the best of luck in the next chapter of his life.”

Brooks has been a part of the band since their inception in 2004. Brooks contributing to the band’s four albums including the recently released, Dear Youth which came out last November through Epitaph Records.

No word on whether someone will replace Brooks in the future.

In the same post about Brooks’ departure, TGI posted a link to the band’s website for upcoming tour dates. Their upcoming tour will be in Europe, but will all begin at A Day to Remember’s Self Help Festival in San Bernardino, CA on Mar. 7.

No Devotion Drummer Leaves Band

No Devotion drummer, Luke Johnson announced earlier in the day that he has departed from the band. In a statement to fans, the drummer revealed that after two years with the group, who have yet to release a debut album, just a couple of tracks since their formation, he had decided it was his time to leave.

“No Devotion has been an integral part of my daily life for the last two years. It comes with great sadness to announce that after the NYC show on October 28th 2014 I parted ways with No Devotion. This was a very difficult decision to make; we have been through a lot together. Love ‘em like brothers! I’d like to say a big thank you to all the people that continue to support me, especially the Fans! Much love and Respect!”

A few hours after Johnson announced the news, the rest of No Devotion took to Facebook to release their own joint statement about the departure. In the statement, they reveal Johnson had gone to them a while back to tell them that he would not be able to fulfill his commitment to No Devotion.

Matt Tong, formerly of Bloc Party will be replacing Johnson for the remainder of the recording sessions while Phil Jenkins of Kids in Glass Houses will take over the drum kit during upcoming shows.

Read the band’s statement below.

“To clarify this morning’s news: A few months back, Luke approached us with the concern that he would be unable to fulfill commitments to No Devotion moving forward. It was sad to hear, because we’ve obviously been on quite the journey together over the past five years. We didn’t say anything publicly, because deep down we hoped he’d change his mind.

Matt Tong (formerly of Bloc Party) stepped in to fill in on drums for the remainder of recording, and Phil Jenkins from Kids in Glass Houses will be joining us for our upcoming shows.

We wish Luke all the best, and are looking forward to seeing everyone in this new year.”

No Devotion formed after the demise of Lostprophets two years ago with the remaining members of the defunct band and Thursday frontman, Geoff Rickly. As of now, the band have only released a handful of song while a debut record is currently in the works, like the band statement hints at.

Set Your Goals Vocalist Reveals Side Project

No current projects are on the horizon for Set Your Goals and vocalist Matt Wilson will be taking advantage of the quiet time. The singer has announced that he created a new band named Chains to put out music that did not quite fit the sound of Set Your Goals.

“I am equal parts darkness and light and I have always had ideas that wouldn’t quite work for Set Your Goals; either the lyrics were too dark or parts were too aggressive,” admitted Wilson in a statement posted on YouTube.

“Chains is an outlet for that. Once Set Your Goals slowed down, I was able to put my ideas into motion. I grew up listening to extreme music and this projects is more in line with those tastes.”

As if the announcement wasn’t enough, Wilson has also released the group’s lead single, “Cages.”

Listen to it below.

Chains’ debut record, The Sorrow, The Sadness will reportedly be released in early 2015 through Wilson’s own record label, Calaveras Records.

Foxy Shazam Go on Indefinite Hiatus

Bad news for fans of Foxy Shazam; the Cincinnati-based band have decided to go on an indefinite hiatus.

The band who are known for their crazy antics on stage, posted a message to fans about the decision to go on an indefinite break.

“After more than ten years of our lives completely revolving around Foxy Shazam, it is time to disband for an unknown amount of time. Performing more than two thousand shows around the world has been life changing, but also has kept us from spending time with our families and pursuing our own passions and ways to grow individually.

It has been an honor sharing ourselves and our music with all of you. Thank you to all of our fans, family, and friends that have supported us through everything to make this previous decade the best times of our lives.

We truly believe there is a future fro Foxy Shazam, that our best art is yet to come. We don;t know how long this will take but we plan on someday returning more powerful than ever.

-Foxy Shazam”

Foxy Shazam released their last album Gonzo back in April. News of the “temporary” disbandment comes four days before they were slated to kick off the next leg of their Gonzo tour at Mr. Smalls Theatre in Pittsburgh.

Indie Supergroup Take on Phil Collins, White Stripes

What happens when you combine members of The Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, and The Strokes and have them perform songs from Phil Collins and fellow artist, Jack White?

You get something call the Pop All Star Band, but don’t expect for this supergroup to go on and become a powerhouse of indie players.

Last week, Win Butler and his brother Will were joined on stage by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and The Strokes’ Nikolai Fraiture during a show in Montreal; the Arcade Fire’s hometown.

The special one-off performance happened during the halftime show of the Butler brothers’ annual Pop vs. Jock charity basketball game (you know, the one that Win always gets way into and does stupid stuff?).

The randomly chosen group, which also included the Arcade Fire’s Regine Chassagne took on Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” as well as The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.”

As for the game itself, it looks like the Butler brothers’ team won which would explain why there hasn’t been any story as of yet of Win throwing a hissy-fit over a bad call.

Check out the video of the supergroup performing both tracks.

Transit Guitarist Leaves Band

Fans of Transit were hit with some sad news this past Friday, though some fans aren’t too shock by it. Founding member and guitarist, Tim Landers announced on Facebook that he had left the band that he had been a part of since the beginning. In the post, which was simple and to the point, Lander revealed that he d left the band, but that did not mean it was the end of his musical endeavors.

Lander said that he will be “pursuing other musical outlets” which will include his side projects, Off & On and Misser. Read his statement below.

“It is with a heavy heart that I say this: Transit and I have parted ways.

Support the rest of the guys with their new music and touring. I will be pursuing other musical outlets.

Thanks to anyone that has supported me making music in any way/shape/form over the last decade.

There is so much more to come.”

But today, Landers has taken to Twitter to writ some strange messages to his followers. At first, the posts began with him thanking the fans for being understanding and then change to him admitting that he did contribute to Transit’s new album, Joyride. He writes that he assumes that the tracks he did contribute to would no longer be featured on the new record which is due out on October 21 through Rise Records.

Check out Landers’ tweets below.

I sincerely appreciate the support from anyone responding to the news of Transit and I parting ways. I am a lucky man to do what I love.

— tim landers (@terencetimothy) August 24, 2014

I know for sure the band will rock on without me, as they are all talented individuals. Don't think any differently. As for Joyride…

— tim landers (@terencetimothy) August 24, 2014

I did write and contribute to the album with Transit. Alas, I have been led to believe that anything I physically tracked is not on Joyride.

— tim landers (@terencetimothy) August 24, 2014

I am sure it is great.

— tim landers (@terencetimothy) August 24, 2014

For me: you will hear much new music from @weareoffandon soon- that's is where my head and hands have been.

— tim landers (@terencetimothy) August 24, 2014

To anyone asking about @missermusic , Brad and I worked on some songs together when he was last in Boston. More music in the future.

— tim landers (@terencetimothy) August 24, 2014

It has now been several days since Landers announced his departure from the band, but they have yet to release a statement on their own about it. Transit are so far scheduled to hit the touring circuit in October in support of Joyride. Some tour dates can be seen in the official flyer.