Mark O’Connell has quit Taking Back Sunday (Picture: Scott Legato/Getty Images)
Mark O’Connell has confirmed he is leaving Taking Back Sunday after 24 years because he does not feel supported by his bandmates.
He said his sobriety journey has impacted his relationship with his ‘brothers’ and ‘creative differences’ have made it impossible to move forward.
Mark, 43, joined the Cute Without The E hitmakers in 2000 when founding member Steven DeJoseph exited the rock group.
The post-hardcore band, who rose to fame in the early 00s, now consists of frontman Adam Lazzara, guitarist Shaun Cooper, and bassist John Nolan.
Taking to his social media on Tuesday, January 7, Mark shared: ‘After nearly 25 years as the drummer of Taking Back Sunday, I want to confirm that I am no longer with the band.
‘It’s taken me some time to address this. Thank you for your patience as I’ve reflected on how to share my story.’
He has been with the band since 2000 (Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Mark has not felt ‘supported’ by his ‘brothers’ recently (Picture: Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
Speculation had been rife since former bandmate Eddie Reyes claimed on a podcast that the drummer had decided to part ways with Taking Back Sunday.
Mark began his statement by thanking the fans for their ‘love and support’, calling them the ‘heartbeat of TBS’ and a ‘huge part of his life for nearly a quarter of a century’.
‘I owe it all to you,’ he added before addressing the split with the band, writing: ‘Over the past few years, I’ve focused on my family and personal growth, including committing to my sobriety.
‘Unfortunately, during this time, I didn’t always feel the support I needed from those I thought of as brothers, and creative differences made it hard to move forward together.’
Rockstar lifestyles historically are at odds with sobriety and fans noted that earlier this year the band also collaborated with a bourbon brand.
Mark is not quitting music and teased a new solo project and some collaborations with ‘some old friends’ are in the pipeline.
He said he had ‘poured [his] heart into this project’ and was excited to share it with the world.
Despite his exit and the ‘differences’ between himself and his former bandmates, Mark is ‘grateful’ for the ‘incredible memories’ from the past 24 years.
‘This is a new chapter for me – one of passion, creativity, and hope. I hope you’ll join me on this journey as we continue to be a part of each other’s stories,’ he continued.
The band has not commented publicly on his exit (Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Mark plans to release his own solo music (Picture: Lisa Mauceri/FilmMagic)
‘That said, I’m grateful for the incredible memories with each of my bandmates – and all of you, as well as all the opportunities along the way. I’m choosing to focus on the good as I move into this next chapter.’
He concluded: ‘Thank you again for everything. I’m proud of what we built together, and I’m even more excited about what lies ahead. With love and gratitude, Mark O’Connell.’
Mark’s comments were filled with fans wishing him the best of luck and praising him for putting his health and sobriety first.
Taking Back Sunday has not made a public statement about Mark’s exit so far.
Metro has reached out to the band for comment.
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