Dance Gavin Dance revealed on Friday (June 3) that longtime vocalist Tilian Pearson (pictured above at far right) is stepping away from the California post-hardcore act. The singer earlier this week responded to sexual assault allegations against him.
“The recent allegations against Tilian are something we take very seriously, and we have been in deep discussion regarding the appropriate action,” the group said in a statement on social media.
“Effective immediately,” they explained, “Tilian will be stepping away from the band in order to seek professional help.” The abdication of the singer, the lead clean vocalist in Dance Gavin Dance since 2012 and a solo artist under his forename, follows the unexpected April death of Dance Gavin Dance bassist Tim Feerick (pictured above at far left).
The remaining Dance Gavin Dance members — unclean vocalist Jon Mess, guitarist Will Swan, drummer Matt Mingus and guitarist Andrew Wells — explained that they would still release their new album, Jackpot Juicer, as planned, as well as tour behind it as scheduled in honor of Feerick. Jackpot Juicer arrives July 29.
“Jon, Will, Matt and Andrew will continue on with all currently scheduled tours,” Dance Gavin Dance said. “The band will also be proceeding with the release of Jackpot Juicer.”
They continued, “We all worked incredibly hard on this album, and it is also the last recorded body of work from Tim — we want to be sure we give it the full release attention that it deserves to honor his legacy.”
They added, “We know that this is a very upsetting and trying situation for all those affected, and we ask people to please be as understanding as possible while everyone works through this. We appreciate you always.”
See the tour dates here.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, resources are available to help. Please visit RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) online or dial 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673).