Sly Withers Announce Lineup Change
The band's drummer cited a need to “find a balance between my career and downtime”.
Sly Withers (Credit: Shannan Stewart)
Perth alternative rockers Sly Withers have shared some sad news: their drummer, Joel “Joely” Neubecker, is leaving the band after eleven years.
Revealing the news on social media on Friday (1 December), Neubecker cited a need to “find a balance between my career and downtime”, but not to worry, all band members are still great friends.
Over the weekend, Neubecker returned to the studio with Sly Withers to record their final songs all together, and on New Year's Eve, the band will play their last show with Neubecker. You can read his statement below.
Hey, it’s Joel. After 11 years of playing in Sly Withers, I’ve decided to step away from musical duties with the band. I came to the conclusion that I needed to find a balance between my career and downtime, so I have made a tough decision that will hopefully allow me and Sly to progress and stay healthy.
We’re all still best buds, and I’ll still be around - but this time, I’ll be with you all, supporting the best band in the world. I want to thank each and every one of you for being such strong and supportive people in the time I’ve been with the band. To be honest, I never thought or dreamt of playing outside of Scarborough, let alone WA. This couldn’t have been possible without the other Sly boys and their insane talent, and I can’t wait to see them live for the first time (lol). We’re heading into the studio this weekend for what will be my last few songs with the band and will be playing my last show on NYE at The Rosemount. I’m sure if I don’t see you there, I’ll see you at another gig soon.
It’s been real, Joel.
Earlier this year, Sly Withers revealed that their festival, Sidefest – curated alongside independent artist management company Sidequest – would be more intimate than they planned.
“When Sly Withers, Casey [O'Shaughnessy, Select Music] and I started SIDEFEST, I told myself we would take the festival slowly,” the band’s manager, Skinny O’Leary, wrote on social media. “The absolute success of the festival in 2022, just moments after WA venues went back to 100% capacity, buoyed our confidence for the festival this year.”
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O’Leary continued, “Safe to say that the live music industry is in a downturn at the moment, with lower than projected ticket sales pretty much across the board - from institutions like Splendour in the Grass down to smaller in-venue shows.
“This year might be a bit more intimate than we had hoped for, but we're still gonna pull it off - it will just owe us a bit of money.”
In late 2022, Sydney rock outfit RedHook unveiled their collaborative track with Sly Withers, Soju. RedHook’s Emmy Mack said about the song, “It's a 'fuck you' song, but it's also simultaneously a 'fuck me' song because, at the end of the day, it's up to each of us to prioritise our own needs and not compromise our values to keep the peace. Some people like me just struggle with it a bit harder than others.”
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