In an announcement that will surely make waves around the jamband and livetronica circuit, Toronto’s theNewDeal has decided to take a break from their break….yes, that means they will be returning to the stage. It looks like tND will be making festival appearances during the summer of 2014, but have not announced any particular dates or plans after that, as of yet.

As this news will have any tND fan excited, it was also announced that original drummer and resident hype man Darren Shearer will not be returning alongside fellow bandmates Jamie Shields and Dan Kurtz. While no reasoning behind Shearer’s decision to not rejoin the band has surfaced, it was announced that Joel Stouffer will be taking over behind the kit. Some may remember Stouffer as taking over the reigns back in 2011, when Shearer suffered a broken hand, as well as being the drummer in bassist Kurtz’ electro pop outfit, Dragonette.

Here is a statement from theNewDeal’s website:

theNEWDEAL is back

Two years after the end of a successful fourteen-year run of over 1000 live shows, theNEWDEAL is announcing today a return to American festival stages in the summer of 2014.

“It feels like the right time for us to be playing together again”, says bassist Dan Kurtz.  “theNEWDEAL needed some time to find some new musical inspiration and get some perspective on what is important about what, and how, we play together”.

“We just needed a break to go do other things”, adds keyboardist Jamie Shields.  “When the thing you love begins to feel only like work, it’s time to step away”.

Darren Shearer, theNEWDEAL’s original drummer, has decided not to continue in this next phase of the band’s career.   In his place, Dan and Jamie are excited to welcome Toronto-based drummer Joel Stouffer.  Joel is one of only two drummers who has ever managed to fill Darren’s shoes in the past, having played brilliantly with the band when Darren broke his hand in 2011.   Joel has spent the last seven years touring the world with Dan in Electropop band Dragonette. 

theNEWDEAL first began in Toronto in 1999, and came up through the American Jam scene in the decade that followed.  Since the theNEWDEAL‘s beginning, it has been hard to categorize this band, which shows in the wide range of artists that they have played with (Everyone from Herbie Hancock to the Roots, from Moby to Fatboy Slim).  A long-time staple of the Jam scene, theNEWDEAL’s improvisational interpretation of Electro House, Trance, Breakbeat and Drum & Bass has brought traditionally electronic music to the live music scene, adding a “human element” and vibrance that can sometimes get lost in the sea of computerized perfection.

Summer and Fall 2014 dates will be announced over the next week.

L4LM will post updates to the tND’s summer tour schedule as dates are announced.