In a move that Barenaked Ladies calls a “mutual agreement,” the alternative rock band will continue on without founding member and vocalist Steven Page. According to a statement from the band, Page will pursue a solo career that includes “theatrical opportunities.”
Bassist Jim Creeggan, keyboardist Kevin Hearn, singer/guitarist and co-founder Ed Robertson, and drummer Tyler Stewart will return to the studio this spring. The revised BNL lineup also expects to support their new material with a fall 2009 tour.
“These guys are my brothers. We’ve grown up together over the past twenty years,” Page said in the statement. “I love them and wish them all the best in the future.”
Grade school friends Page and Robertson co-founded the band in the late 1980s and made their studio debut with the 1992 release “Gordon.” Although Page began as BNL’s principal singer and lyricist, he increasingly shared lead vocal and writing duties with Robertson as the band’s career progressed. BNL’s most recent studio effort was the 2008 children’s album, “Snacktime!”
The split comes after a trying year for members of the popular rock band. In July, Page was arrested for cocaine possession, along with his girlfriend and her roommate, and charged with a misdemeanor. He is currently on six months probation.
A month later in August, Robertson was involved in a minor crash when the plane he was piloting stalled mid-flight. Robertson brought the plane down in a grove of trees without any major incident and was cleared of any misconduct in the crash.
Though the personal problems were not credited as a factor in the split, Robertson did acknowledge that the band will be entering a new chapter. “We’re really excited about the future,” Robertson said in an interview with Billboard. “Certainly it’s the end of an era, but things change and the creative process is always changing. We’re really excited about getting into the studio and exploring that.”
