Silverchair take an indefinite break
Members of Silverchair have announced that after nearly 20 years together they will place the band in an “indefinite hibernation”.
In a statement from Daniel Johns, Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou, they said the decision to take time away from the band comes after much soul searching.
“We formed Silverchair nearly 20 years ago when we were just 12 years old. Today we stand by the same rules now as we did back then … if the band stops being fun and if it’s no longer fulfilling creatively, then we need to stop,” the statement said.
“Therefore after much soul searching we wanted to let you know that we’re putting Silverchair into “indefinite hibernation” and we’ve decided to each do our own thing for the foreseeable future.
“We assure you that this decision has not been taken lightly. In fact we’ve been struggling with it for quite a while now. ”
Silverchair said despite their best efforts over the last year it has become clear the spark between the three members has lessened.
“As a result we’ve decided to put the band into ‘a deep sleep’ while we all do other things that we find more inspiring right now. This means that Silverchair won’t be making music together or playing shows any time soon. It also means that the three of us won’t be working together unless and until it feels right again,” the statement said.
The band said while they understand some fans will be disappointed by the news of their break, they said they “really see it as a liberating and positive step” at this point in their lives.
“We also want to make it really clear that this decision has been made with the best possible intentions. We’ve always tried our hearts out to make the best music we could possibly make at the time – regardless of commercial consequences,” the statement said.
“The three of us still truly care about each other. At the moment Ben’s busy in the studio recording his own music, Chris is working on various business, musical and charitable ventures while Daniel is creating a film soundtrack and working on other musical projects. We hope you’ll continue to take an interest in our individual work over the years ahead.”
The band also acknowledged the support of their fans over the years.
“Above all though we want to thank you for all your support in good times and bad. You’ve put up with our long breaks between albums, our constantly changing musical styles and lots more,” the band said.
“The unbelievable loyalty we’ve been shown by you our audience, and our friends, has never gone unnoticed or unappreciated. That’s why we wanted to tell you first.”
By Kate Kachor (http://www.elevenmagazine.com.au/2011/05/26/silverchair-takes-indefinite-break/)
