Seven of the nine members of funk-rock outfit Turkuaz, as well as the band’s FOH engineer, have announced their departure from the group.
The news came via a three-tile note posted to social media by guitarist/keyboardist Craig Brodhead, trumpeter/keyboardist Chris Brouwers, drummer Mikey Carubba, vocalist Shira Elias, vocalist Sammi Garett, saxophonist Greg Sanderson, saxophonist/vocalist Josh Schwartz, and touring crew member Zach Fichter. Read the full message from the departing members of Turkuaz below:
From: Craig, Chris, Mikey, Shira, Sammi, Greg, Josh and Zach
We have made the difficult decision to step away from Turkuaz.
We have spent the last several years traveling the world together with the intention of spreading love and joy through our music. During that time, we have grown together as a family, and we’ve learned how to love and support each other through both the best and worst of times.
We stand unified and in full support of one another as we make this decision to end our involvement with Turkuaz. We are eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to perform for all of you, and even more grateful to have become close friends with so many of you along the way.
We thank you for respecting our privacy in this matter, and for your continued support. We are very excited to share the many projects that we’ve all been working on – there are some truly amazing things to come.
The note was signed by all of the band’s members except guitarist/vocalist Dave Brandwein and bassist Taylor Shell. The full note is also posted on the band’s Facebook page.
As Brandwein told Live For Live Music in a separate statement, “Taylor and I are extremely saddened by this news but we respect the decision that has been made.”
[UPDATE 11/2/21, 5:30 p.m. ET]: In subsequent post later Tuesday afternoon, Brandwein further addressed this development and what it means for the band going forward. He also confirmed that all of the band’s upcoming shows were canceled.
“With a heavy heart, we regret to say that the future of Turkuaz is uncertain,” he said. “Today’s news is probably a shock to many of you. And unfortunately, this means any upcoming Turkuaz dates will not be happening as planned.”
“Taylor and I respect the decision of our former bandmates to pursue their individual artistic endeavors,” he continued. “We love and appreciate all of our fans so much. Because of the positive moments, we enjoyed many years on the road playing the music we love to our fans across the country, and even globally. … This is not the end of our artistic journeys. There is more to come. In the meantime, thank you for your support and the respect of our privacy as we navigate this new phase of our lives.”
[UPDATE 11/4/21]: Dave Brandwein has issued a lengthy statement addressing the sudden disbandment which also addresses his own personal struggles with alcohol abuse, divorce, and sobriety. Read the full statement here.
The nine-piece outfit had a busy Halloween weekend ahead of the surprising announcement on Tuesday. After releasing a new single, “Shakin’ In My Sheets”, on Friday, the band performed a pair of “hometown” shows at New York’s Webster Hall on Friday, 10/29 and Saturday, 10/30. From there, the band headed to Suwannee Hulaween in Live Oak, FL for a Remain in Light set with Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew on Sunday, 10/31. The band had also recently trimmed down its previously announced schedule of fall tour dates.