Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan has announced that he is leaving the band after suffering with personal issues.
In a statement posted to Twitter, the band said Meighan wanted to “concentrate all his energies on getting his life back on track”.
The statement read: “Tom Meighan is stepping down from Kasabian by mutual consent. Tom has struggled with personal issues that have affected his behaviour for quite some time and now wants to concentrate all his energies on getting his life back on track. We will not be commenting further.”
Tom Meighan is stepping down from Kasabian by mutual consent. Tom has struggled with personal issues that have affected his behaviour for quite some time and now wants to concentrate all his energies on getting his life back on track. We will not be commenting further.
— KasabianHQ (@KasabianHQ) July 6, 2020
Referencing the news in a tweet of his own, Meighan wrote: “Following today’s announcement I just wanted to let you all know that I am doing well.
“I’m in a really good place now. Thanks for all your love and support. I’ll be seeing you all very soon.”
Following today's announcement I just wanted to let you all know that I am doing well. I'm in a really good place now. Thanks for all your love and support. I'll be seeing you all very soon. TM x #TomMeighan #Kasabian
— Tom Meighan (@MeighanOfficial) July 6, 2020
Meighan had been the lead singer with the group since their inception in Leicester in 1997.
Joined by an original line-up that included guitarist and close friend Sergio Pizzorno, the group went on to become one of Britain’s biggest rock bands – headlining Glastonbury Festival in 2014 and Reading & Leeds in both 2012 and 2014.
It is yet to be confirmed if Kasabian will continue to tour and record live music in the wake of Meighan’s departure.
The singer has previously opened up on his mental health battles, admitting that he had been “making himself ill” and suffered a secret breakdown in 2016.
“In every way, 2016 was great for Serge, great for Leicester City, shit for me,” he said.
“I had to sort my head out. My attitude. Stuff I was doing. People I was associating with. Not bad people. I was the one that was bad, I was in the haze. I was very unhappy, just down. You block it out by just carrying on.”
Last month, Meighan had confirmed that plans for Kasabian’s seventh album were in the early stages, with Pizzorno beginning to write material for the record.
“We need a seventh baby,” Meighan told Sky News. “We’re going to try and make a new record as soon as we can but we can’t really do anything while we’re restricted. Serge has been writing songs for Kasabian so it’s all good.”
Meighan spoke more about his own solo material in the same interview. “I’m writing loads of music at the minute,” he said. “We’ll see what happens. I’ve got a few cookies in the jar…they [aren’t] bad, you know.”
He continued: “It’s very autobiographical, like the story of my life. It’s kind of… heartbreaking. Well, not heartbreaking, just to the core, you know. Very real.”
Meighan had stressed that the band were still “solid”, despite Pizzorno embarking on a solo career last year, under the guise of The SLP.
“And you know, when Sergio did his thing last year, everyone was like, ‘how do you feel about it?’ I love it. Why wouldn’t I? And his music was incredible…He’s doing his thing, I’m doing mine but Kasabian are still solid,” Meighan said.
The band were set to play a massive homecoming show in Leicester’s Victoria Park this summer, before coronavirus prompted its cancellation.
Their last album was 2017’s acclaimed ‘For Crying Out Loud‘.
For help and advice on mental health visit:
- ‘Am I depressed?‘ – Help and advice on mental health and what to do next
- Help Musicians UK – Around the clock mental health support and advice for musicians
- Music Support Org – Help and support for musicians struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or mental health issues
- YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
- CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably for young men
- Time To Change – Let’s end mental health discrimination
- The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day
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