VICKY PSARAKIS veröffentlicht gerade ein Statement in dem sie das Ende der Band THE AGONIST verkündet. Die Sängerin wir mit Sicksense weitermachen, die weiteren Bandmitglieder sind ebenfalls mit weiteren Projekten beschäftigt. Hier die Statements der Beteiligten.
VICKY PSARAKIS:
“This is the hardest post I’ve had to write to this day. Please, bear with me.
The Agonist has decided to come to an end. You may read the full announcement on the band’s social media pages.
There are many reasons that led us to this decision, too many to convey in writing, but I want you to know that it was not made lightly. This has been a long-time coming.
I want you to know that I am grateful for all my time in this band. 10 years of my life were dedicated to our music. 3 full-length albums and an EP: 40 songs total. 40 songs in which I poured my heart and soul and connected with you through them.
I want you to know that I am grateful for the tours we did all over the world. Playing shows is something I learned to love, but what I always loved the most was meeting you. The people who listen to our music, read our lyrics and sing along and headbang to our songs each night.
I want you to know that I tried. The very first thoughts I had of giving up came to me in 2017. I stuck with it and pushed through. Because of that we created Orphans and Days Before The World Wept, both of which were critically acclaimed and Juno nominated records. They were life changing to me in many ways. I am proud of everything we’ve accomplished.
Most importantly, I want you to know that I have no regrets. Because of my journey with The Agonist, I have met many significant people who are in my life right now. I would never have met all of you, had I not said „yes“ all the way back in 2014. I hope you stay in my life forever.
Last but not least, I want you to know that no other band or project has been a factor in this decision. I am a full-time musician and my only source of income is through my music. My work with Sicksense, guest features and covers was always something I was able to do alongside The Agonist. Many artists are involved in multiple projects, so I kindly ask that you do not jump to inaccurate conclusions and be respectful towards what I choose to do with my musical career.
When I turned 18, I got into an economics university. Barely a month later, I decided I wanted to be a musician and dropped out. I had no former music training, education or background, yet writing songs was the only thing in my life that made things better. I cannot imagine a world in which I don’t get to do that. I hope you will be there with me every step of the way. I will be creating music until the day I’m gone.
Thank you to everyone that has supported me. I would not be here today without you.
„And I’ll hold out my hand
If my fingers should ache
And my grip starts to weaken
I will hold my hand to the world“
– Days Before The World Wept”
THE AGONIST schreiben aif ihren Social Media:
“Dear friends, it’s time to make a very difficult but necessary announcement.
We have decided that The Agonist as a band, has come to an end. Much deliberation and care has been put into making this decision, and unfortunately, given the circumstances, this is the conclusion that makes the most sense for the band and us as individuals.
There are many factors that led to this decision. It is a mix of personal, financial and industry related issues, but in the end the 5 of us are no longer able to agree on a way forward that would benefit The Agonist business as a whole, while respecting each member’s personal lives and wishes.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to the fans for coming out to the shows, buying our merch, and supporting us over the years. Nothing is more satisfying than connecting with our fellow human beings via the gift of music. It is the number one factor that has always driven us- to make you, the listener, feel something. In the end, we know that we’ve accomplished this together.
Some members of the band will continue to work on music in various ways, others will focus on personal projects and family. We kindly ask you to respect their privacy on this particular matter and encourage you to follow them on their individual social media accounts to support their future endeavors.
Vicky Psarakis will be carrying on with her band, Sicksense They have a new EP coming out this summer and she will be playing 2 live shows with them in Montreal, in June.
You can also directly support her by following her on Patreon and Twitch.
Simon McKay is currently looking to join a new band full-time, while offering session work for studio and live gigs. Also, keep an eye out for new music coming soon from his solo project.
Chris Kells will be focusing on his career as a videographer. Since 2015, he has directed all of The Agonist’s music videos, as well as many other established bands.
Danny Marino is currently writing music for 2 new projects.
Pascal „Paco“ Jobin will be releasing new music with his project Leading the betrayed.
Our US-based merch store with Sound Escape Agency will remain open. We have also put together an EU-based store for our European fans. Inventory is final and there will be no restocks. Proceeds will go directly to the band to help us pay off our remaining debt.”
Titelfoto: Sven Bernhardt