Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman has announced he’s temporarily stepping away from the band in order to focus on his “rapidly deteriorating” mental health.
The band – shortly after announcing their new album, So Much (For) Stardust – posted a statement written by Trohman on their social media accounts, with the electric guitar star confirming he will be leaving the band for a spell.
“Neil Young once howled that it’s better to burn out than to fade away. But I can tell you unequivocally that burning out is dreadful,” Trohman wrote. “Without divulging all the details, I must disclose that my mental health has rapidly deteriorated over the past several years.
“So, to avoid fading away and never returning,” he continued, “I will be taking a break from work which regrettably includes stepping away from Fall Out Boy for a spell.”
Trohman went on to say the decision to step back before the release of So Much (For) Stardust was a painful one, though he reassured fans he will “one-hundred percent” return to the group’s lineup when the time is right for him.
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He added, “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).
“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.
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“Thank you to everyone, including my bandmates and family, for understanding and respecting this difficult, but necessary, decision.”
Trohman has been vocal about his struggle with mental health issues in the past, especially through his podcast I Hate Myself, and told Guitar World in 2021 that “the lack of information and the lack of teaching” around the topic has led to the stigmatization of mental health problems.
“‘Mental health’ is more positive than ‘mental illness’, but I’m proud to admit I’m mentally ill,” Trohman said. “I own it. It doesn’t make me defective. I think there’s a way to turn a perceived weakness into a strength; we just have done a really poor job of it.
“People are still uncomfortable about discussing therapy,” he added. “They’re still wrapping their heads around the differences between schizophrenia, bipolar [disorder], and clinical depression, or the fact that someone can have one or all three and that there are gray areas.
“We need to do a better job of explaining these things, because we all probably know somebody, or somebodies, dealing with them. They are quite common and they are treatable.”
So Much (For) Stardust will be Fall Out Boy's eighth studio album, and their first since 2018’s Mania, when it arrives March 24. Its lead single, Love From the Other Side, is available to stream now.
