After nearly a decade of playing together, Big Thief have announced they are parting ways with bassist Max Oleartchik. “After many beautiful years together, Max is no longer in Big Thief,” the band wrote. “Our love for each other is infinite, and we are so grateful for all we have shared these many years together since the beginning of our journey as a band. We wouldn’t be who we are without Max. This separation marks the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one for Big Thief.”
“This change was made for interpersonal reasons with mutual respect in our hearts,” they continued. “It’s a big change for us and the four of us ask for your trust, respect, and care as we grow into the next chapter of our lives.”
After meeting his eventual bandmate Buck Meek as a teenager at a summer program at the Berklee College of Music, Oleartchik joined Meek and Adrianne Lenker to form Big Thief in Brooklyn in 2015. He would play on all of the band’s studio albums: Masterpiece (2016), Capacity (2017), U.F.O.F. (2019), Two Hands (2019), and Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You (2022).
In 2022, Big Thief announced their decision to perform in Oleartchik’s hometown of Tel Aviv, Israel, but ultimately decided to cancel the shows. “Our intent in wanting to play the shows in Tel Aviv, where Max was born, raised, and currently lives, stemmed from a simple belief that music can heal,” the group said. “We now recognize that the shows we had booked do not honor that sentiment.”
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