After nearly a decade of playing together, Big Thief have parted ways with original bassist Max Oleartchik, leaving founding members Adrianne Lenker and Buck Meek and longtime drummer James Krivchenia to move forward without him. All four of them issued a joint statement, which reads:
After many beautiful years together, Max is no longer in Big Thief. Our love for each other is infinite, and we are so grateful for all we have shared these many years together since the beginning of our journey as a band. We wouldn’t be who we are without Max. This separation marks the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one for Big Thief.
This change was made for interpersonal reasons with mutual respect in our hearts. It’s a big change for us and the four of us ask for your trust, respect, and care as we grow into the next chapter of our lives.
In 2022, Big Thief announced and preemptively defended a decision to perform in Max’s hometown of Tel Aviv, Israel, but later cancelled the shows, saying, “Our intent in wanting to play the shows in Tel Aviv, where Max was born, raised, and currently lives, stemmed from a simple belief that music can heal. We now recognize that the shows we had booked do not honor that sentiment.”
Earlier this year, Adrianne Lenker released a Bandcamp-exclusive EP to benefit the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, followed shortly by the release of her latest solo album, Bright Future, which is one of our favorite albums of 2024 so far. She has an upcoming solo tour, including two shows at Brooklyn’s Kings Theater in November, and Big Thief have some upcoming festival appearances this summer too.
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Top photo from Pitchfork Fest 2023 by James Richards IV. More here.