Fall Out Boy’s co-founder and lead guitarist Joe Trohman has announced that he will be temporarily exiting the band to focus on his mental health and well-being.
Trohman took to the GRAMMY-nominated band’s social media on Wednesday evening (Jan. 18) to share the news of his departure with fans via a lengthy statement that began with “a note from Joe.”
“Without divulging all the details, I must disclose that my mental health has rapidly deteriorated over the past several years,” Trohman wrote on Fall Out Boy’s social media. “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.”
He continued to let fans know that his exit is temporary and he will be back in the future, but right now he has to focus on himself.
“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),” Trohman continued, mentioning their just-announced new album, So Much (For) Stardust. “So, the question remains: Will I return to the fold? Absolutely, one-hundred percent. In the meantime, I must recover which means putting myself and my mental health first. Thank you to everyone, including my bandmates and family, for understanding and respecting this difficult, but necessary, decision.”
The longtime Fall Out Boy guitarist concluded, “Smell you sooner than later, Joe Trohman.”
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Trohman previously opened up about his mental health in his memoir, None Of This Rocks, which he released on September 13, 2022. In the memoir, Trohman details everything from a suicide attempt to the death of his mother, his supportive father’s tragedy, antisemitism, and of course, Fall Out Boy.
“I have, like, severe mental illnesses that do not allow me to see myself as somebody that ‘rocks’,” Trohman previously told Variety. At the time, he also told the outlet that the title is perfect as the term “rockstar” makes him “want to throw up in my mouth.”
Joe Trohman is the lead guitarist and co-founder of Fall Out Boy and has been with the band since its formation in the early 2000s alongside vocalist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz and drummer Andy Hurley.
Fall Out Boy Recently Announced Their Eighth Studio Album, So Much (For) Stardust
The news comes on the same day that Fall Out Boy announced their eighth studio album, So Much (For) Stardust, which arrives on March 24, 2023.
“Technology has made it really easy to make records much more quickly these days. There’s nothing wrong with that, and that spontaneity can be exciting,” frontman Patrick Stump shared of the project. “But we wanted to get back to the way we used to work. We wanted to make a record that was really lovingly crafted and deliberate and patiently guided – like someone cooked you a delicate meal. I’m not a very proud guy, but I’m pretty proud of this record.”
“Our band has been an ongoing art project for twenty years and we know there have been many inception points along that journey,” Pete Wentz added. “We wanted to create an album that merged those points together – something new, but carved from our foundation. Fueled By Ramen and Elektra seemed like the perfect home for this.”
The project will be released via Fueled By Ramen/Elektra, which marks the group’s first album with the label since their debut album, Take This To Your Grave, which came out in 2003 and celebrates its 20th anniversary later this year on May 6.
“We’re incredibly excited to welcome back Fall Out Boy to the Fueled By Ramen family. It’s been twenty years since the release of their debut album on Fueled By Ramen, and it’s a true pleasure to be working together again. Growing up in Chicago, I had the privilege of watching Fall Out Boy play DIY venues around the city, eventually growing into the global superstars we know them as today,” said Johnny Minardi, VP of A&R for Fueled By Ramen/Elektra. “They are a truly special band that has altered the landscape of rock music and who continually evolve with each new release. They have made an incredible album and we can’t wait for the world to hear it.”
So Much (For) Stardust also marks a homecoming for the band as it’s the first of which found the band reuniting with renowned producer Neal Avron, whom they’ve worked with on three previous albums (From Under the Cork Tree, Infinity on High, Folie à Deux).
“Neal not only taught us how to make records, but has a unique capacity to really take time and focus on a record,” Stump said of working with Avron. “We thought it was a no-brainer to work with him again, on a record where that was very important to us, and he was gracious enough to agree to work with us.”
So Much (For) Stardust is Fall Out Boy’s first new studio album since 2018’s M A N I A, which garnered a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock Album and marked their third consecutive and fourth overall #1 album.
While no further details of the new project were shared, the band did release the lead single from the album, “Love From The Other Side.”
The new single was accompanied by a music video that was directed by David Braun and Open The Portal, which you can watch below.
Trohman does play guitar on the new album, but it appears he is stepping away before the band begins to do promo for the project, which includes tonight’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
Fall Out Boy will deliver the live debut of their new single “Love From The Other Side” tonight on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35/10:35c on ABC.
