Fall Out Boy‘s Joe Trohman has announced he is taking a leave of absence after struggling with an ongoing injury in his hand.
The Dance, Dance guitarist, 40, will take ‘the rest of the year’ off so he can undergo surgery to prevent further damage after playing through the pain.
Joe is a founding member of the pop-punk group, having been friends with Pete Wentz (bassist) in the 90s and has served as guitarist and backing vocalist since 2001.
Completing the lineup were Patrick Stump on vocals and Andy Hurley on drums, with the band best known for hits like Sugar, We’re Goin Down, Thnks fr th Mmrs, and Centuries.
‘After years of managing ongoing issues with my right hand, it’s become clear that I need surgery to avoid permanent damage,’ he announced in a statement on Instagram.
‘Unfortunately, this means I’ll have to take the rest of the year off from playing with the band,’ he continued. ‘The silver lining is that I’m on track for a full recovery.’
He didn’t share any details about the issue specifically but confirmed that Fall Out Boy will continue to play their upcoming shows without him.
Fans sent well wishes in the comments, including from Simple Plan’s Pierre Bouvier, who wrote: ‘Wishing you a swift recovery and return to the band.’
The band are due to tour Japan and Brazil throughout August before heading back to the US for Oceans Calling Festival in Maryland in September.
They last toured the UK in 2023, performing in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, and London after the release of their So Much (For) Stardust album.
Joe took a temporary hiatus in January of that year, stating that he wanted to focus on his mental health at the time.
He explained at the time: ‘Neil Young once howled that it’s better to burn out than to fade away. But I can tell you unequivocally that burning out is dreadful.
‘Without divulging all the details, I must disclose that my mental health has rapidly deteriorated over the past several years. So, to avoid fading away and never returning, I will be taking a break from work which regrettably includes stepping away from Fall Out Boy for a spell.
‘It pains me to make this decision, especially when we are releasing a new album that fills me with great pride (the sin I’m most proud of).’
Ben Young took up the guitar while Joe was on a break but the founder returned to the fold before the tour was finished.
The former guitar tech has worked with the likes of Linkin Park and Stone Temple Pilots but also formed his own band, Knifes, in the late 2010s so it’s unknown if he will return to Fall Out Boy in Joe’s place.
Fall Out Boy have been staples of the pop-punk scene after dropping debut album Take This To Your Grave in 2003, which gained a cult following.
They quickly rose to prominence with their chart-topping second album From Under the Cork Tree, which spawned some of their biggest hits and earned their reputation for lengthy song titles.
Tracks like Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn’t Get Sued and I’ve Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song) have become icons of the emo era.
Follow-up albums Infinity on High and Folie à Deux also saw commercial success but were followed by a short hiatus, due to the band members’ declining mental health.
In 2013, Pete reached out to Patrick and mended the rift between them, with their comeback album Save Rock and Roll becoming an instant number one.
They have since released two further albums; Grammy-nominated Mania in 2018 and latest album So Much (For) Stardust in 2023.
Fall Out Boy also collaborated on Taylor Swift’s re-recording of Speak Now, with a verse on (underappreciated) rock-pop vault track Electric Touch.
There are currently no public plans for a UK tour and no hints of a new album on the way and with Joe’s hand it’s looking like fans will have to wait a bit longer.
Maybe 2027 will see the return of FOB … just in time for Glastonbury.
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