Much to the dismay of head bangers and stoner rockers across the country, The Sword has been forced to cancel the remainder of their U.S. tour dates due to the news that drummer Trivett Wingo has left the band. The latest string of cancellations comes less than a week after the band scrapped their European tour “due to circumstances beyond our control”. The band claims to already be working on rescheduling the string of dates both at home and abroad. The Austin, TX based band assures fans that there are no hard feelings and the split was amicable, but it begs the question – what happened? Each side attempted to explain, with Wingo going first:
"It is with deep sadness that I am announcing my departure from The Sword. After nearly seven years and some of the most amazing adventures of a lifetime, I have arrived at a place where I am physically and emotionally unable to continue on as part of The Sword. If I could go any further, I would as I love the music and JD, Bryan and Kyle are people that I deeply respect, but I have reached a point where I just can't do this anymore. I would like to thank the wonderful people who made this experience what it has been: the fans, the people that I have worked and all of the bands and musicians that have inspired me over the years. I thank you and apologize for any disappointment that this may cause anyone, not least of which The Sword.”-Trivett
The band followed with an official statement:
"We wish Trivett nothing but the best, and it is with heavy hearts that we bid him farewell. He is a phenomenal musician and has been an integral part of this band's success. He helped to lay the foundation that we will continue to build upon, and we wouldn't be where we are without him. We wish he could continue the adventure with us, but we understand that the life of a touring musician is not for everyone. It's been a hell of a ride, and we're sad to see this part of the journey end. The show must go on, though, and will be back on the road as soon as humanly possible.” - JD, Kyle & Bryan
News of the latest cancellations comes fresh off the heels of a blazing performance at this year’s Austin City Limits festival where they melted faces on the Zync Card stage on Friday night. The show was the last for Wingo as the band canceled their Sunday performance in Little Rock without an official explanation. Thankfully, it sounds as though we haven’t heard the last of The Sword, but all of you holding tickets to the October 16 show at Webster Hall will have to continue perfecting your air shredding in the comfort of your own home until further notice. Fortunately The Sword has provided a soundtrack for your bedroom rock sessions with their latest release Warp Riders that touched down on August 24 on Kemado Records.
