Thank You, Athens to Ashes
Hey all,
Checking in with an announcement, which is one way to launch my official blog.
As of March 23rd, I am no longer a member of Athens to Ashes.
This statement was written originally on the 23rd after a long period of contemplation, with a few edits here to flesh things out. It comes from a vulnerable place, but I’m confident enough to say what I mean here.
We wanted what was best for each other and for the band. It was amicable, mutual, and honestly the best case scenario as far as severance is concerned. It wasn't easy to come to terms with the decision though, as it happened at a difficult time.
Honestly, Covid did us dirty —as it did for many musicians and performers. We were a newly formed band that was suddenly struck in 2020 with lockdown. Though that is the heart of the reason for my departure, there was more that contributed to too. Personally, I'd burnt out on everything. As the name of the site says, I try to keep up as an artist of all trades [that I’m a part of ] but at some points after becoming my own brand, it becomes overwhelming. I lost myself to some major struggles like impostor syndrome—which is very real, I might add. Add to that a major disconnect with the music and losing touch with what seemed like a completely brand new thing as [the band was rehearsing together] and I was stuck at home in isolation.
I was diagnosed with a chronic illness a few years ago that also takes me down from time to time, and takes me away from things like live performing, which truly sucks, but I’m learning to deal with it. I’m a mental health advocate who tries to be aware of my own ups and downs—but am sometimes blindsided by things that are not easy to explain. Adding that on top of the distance, isolation, or just feeling lost… well, I didn’t feel like this was right for me anymore. Stretching myself too thin, wanting to completely separate myself from everyone and everything for a moment of clarity.
We (myself and the band) became distant and a lot changed over time, and as I stated to Steve (drums) I take the hit on dropping the ball on conversing at times. But as someone who couldn’t be present, there wasn’t much for me to say.
Fast forward into 2021, and the Music scene is slowly coming back to life. There was a lot that happened between March ‘20 and March ‘21 that only added to the diverging paths. Working from home, and struggling with the many woes of the daily news and struggling to make ends meet, I found a peace and fulfillment in moving forward as a Voice Over artist and longed to perform different styles and facets of music I haven’t touched in a long time.
As they we kept on in what seemed like a different flow or direction, it was clear we had to make a choice.
All in all, I'm still cool with them. As I said, it was the best case scenario as we harbor no ill toward one another for this. They're my friends and will always be my brothers in music. I'm eternally grateful for the brief chance to take the stage and produce music with them and we hope you enjoyed what we released. I got to open for one of my favorite bands (Unleash The Archers) and that was a true milestone I will never forget.
I ask that you please respect us all during this changeover, and respect whoever takes the helm from here. I support their new vision, as they're an extremely talented lot. If you haven't already, go give them a like on all outlets, as they'll have new things coming soon. Everything we did will remain up for now, and if you enjoy it, then by all means keep on listening. I loved the music we put down and that won’t change.
As for what will happen with me from here on out, I plan to continue as a solo artist, to explore the different facets of music (that I've missed so much, or have been curious to try) -- and art. For those who aren’t aware, I do graphic design as a hobby and even took a step back from that last year to focus on Voice Over and take the time for self-care, which I’d neglected for so very long. With a little more time, it will be fabulous to do what I want and find my joy in the crafts again.
To those who've followed me because of the band or the metal scene, thanks for stopping by. If you keep on following, awesome! if not, all good!
I'm not giving up on music or being an All Trades artist so it will continue to be a variety of sorts from here. I'm working on balance, and to better establish my overall brand. There is more to come.
