Taking Back Sunday‘s longtime drummer Mark O’Connell has left the band. He shared the news in a post on Instagram, writing:
After nearly 25 years as the drummer of Taking Back Sunday, I want to confirm that I am no longer with the band. It’s taken me some time to address this. Thank you for your patience as I’ve reflected on how to share my story.
First, I want to thank the fans — your love and support have meant everything to me. You’ve been the heartbeat of TBS, and a huge part of my life for nearly a quarter of a century.
I owe it all to you.
My departure wasn’t an easy decision, and it wasn’t entirely my own. Over the past few years, I’ve focused on my family and personal growth, including committing to my sobriety. Unfortunately, during this time, I didn’t always feel the support I needed from those I thought of as brothers, and creative differences made it hard to move forward together.
Speaking of, I’m excited to share that I’ll be releasing new music soon — both as a solo artist and with some old friends. I’ve poured my heart into this project, and I can’t wait to share it with you This is a new chapter for me — one of passion, creativity, and hope. I hope you’ll join me on this journey as we continue to be a part of each other’s stories.
That said, I’m grateful for the incredible memories with each of my bandmates — and all of you, as well as all the opportunities along the way. I’m choosing to focus on the good as I move into this next chapter.
Thank you again for everything. I’m proud of what we built together, and I’m even more excited about what lies ahead.
With love and gratitude, Mark O’Connell
Previously, former/founding Taking Back Sunday guitarist Eddie Reyes (who parted ways with TBS in 2018) said on a recent episode of the Caught on the Mike… podcast that O’Connell had left the band. “I just recently started speaking with Mark again,” he said, “who’s apparently, uh, he walked away from, er, he’s not in the band anymore.”
The rest of Taking Back Sunday have not commented at this time. At their recent holiday shows, they briefly reunited on stage with former guitarist Fred Mascherino.
Following Mark’s departure, Taking Back Sunday’s current lineup includes just three members from their classic lineup: lead vocalist Adam Lazzara, guitarist/vocalist John Nolan, and bassist Shaun Cooper.