Advertisement

Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman takes a break for mental health: ‘Burning out is dreadful’

A man with short brown hair in a black T-shirt and jeans plays guitar on a stage
Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy performs at the 2019 Bunbury Music Festival in Cincinnati.
(Amy Harris / Invision / Associated Press)
Share via

Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman announced Wednesday that he is temporarily leaving the band in order to focus on his mental health.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the musician shared that his “mental health has deteriorated rapidly over the past several years” and that he needs some time to recover before rejoining Fall Out Boy — which he fully intends to do.

“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. “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.”

Advertisement

Trohman is among the founding members of Fall Out Boy, a pop-punk group from Wilmette, Ill. Rounding out the band’s original members are bassist Pete Wentz, drummer Andy Hurley and singer Patrick Stump.

Shortly before Trohman issued his statement, Fall Out Boy released a new single, “Love From the Other Side,” and announced that its eighth studio album, “So Much (for) Stardust,” is scheduled to arrive March 24.

Popular alt-rock acts Green Day, Fall Out Boy and Weezer performed for just 500 fans at Whisky a Go Go, part of a kickoff for their Hella Mega tour.

Some of the band’s greatest hits include “Uma Thurman,” “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” “Dance, Dance” and “Thnks fr th Mmrs.”

Advertisement

“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 in his statement.

“So, the question remains: Will I return to the fold? Absolutely, one-hundred percent. ... Thank you to everyone, including my bandmates and family, for understanding and respecting this difficult, but necessary, decision. Smell you sooner than later.”

Advertisement