Black Country, New Road have announced that vocalist Isaac Wood has left the band, just days ahead of the release of their new album. The London collective, which will continue as a six-piece, has also canceled their upcoming shows, including their London headline show at the Roundhouse next week. “I have bad news which is that I have been feeling sad and afraid too,” Wood said in a statement posted on the band’s social media pages. “And I have tried to make this not true but it is the kind of sad and afraid feeling that makes it hard to play guitar and sing at the same time. Together we have been writing songs and then performing them, which at times has been an incredible doing, but more now everything happens that I am feeling not so great and it means from now I won’t be a member of the group anymore.”
Wood continued: “To be clear: this is completely in spite of six of the greatest people I know, who were and are wonderful in a sparkling way. If you are reading this maybe you would have seen some of that. It has been a great pleasure and I would like to say the words ‘Thank You’ to everyone.”
The six remaining band members confirmed that they will carry on as Black Country, New Road, adding that they are already working on new material. “Although Isaac won’t be part of the group any longer, the rest of us will be continuing to make music together as Black Country, New Road,” they stated. “In fact, we’ve already starting working on it. The things we’ll miss about working with Isaac are too many and various to list here, but by listening to the music we made together, I’m sure you’ll understand at least a few of them. It’d be difficult to overstate how much our experiences as a group have affected us. In fact, it’s difficult to say anything at all coherent about what we’ve managed to do. But it has certainly been the greatest privilege to do it all together, as seven friends.”
Black Country, New Road released their Mercury Prize-nominated debut album, For the first time, last February via Ninja Tune. Their sophomore LP, Ants From Up There, is set for release this Friday (February 4).
We have some news to share concerning the future of the band. Please read on for information on upcoming shows, but it seems right to pass on this message from Isaac first pic.twitter.com/3HHmSwBDQj
— BlackCountry,NewRoad (@BCNRband) January 31, 2022
