After 12 years in the scene, IKILLYA announced last night that it was time to say goodbye. Vocalist Jason Lekberg has now shared this statement with us, “Twelve years ago I had only been in NYC for 5 months when I joined the band Violent By Design. I wasn’t sure that I loved all of the music they were playing, and I definitely didn’t love the name, but there was a passion and talent that was undeniable. That band changed it’s name to Wraith, lost a guitarist and became IKILLYA in early 2006. In total there have been 6 guitarists, 3 bassists and 3 drummers – not counting our 2 hired drummers and a TON of guitarists who were brought in but didn’t work out – who have been in the band over the last 12 years. Each album has been a progression on a vision I’ve had, that itself has grown and evolved. I’m proud of them all, and of all of the things we accomplished. The tours, the press, the focus and message. I am honored by all the promoters, venues, writers and industry pros who have believed in us and helped us along the way. I’m most honored by you – the people who took the time to listen and in turn were moved by what we did. Many of you have gone out of your way to help us and even joining The Murder is an example of that. You all kick ass.”
“Unfortunately, yesterday evening Rob and I announced that IKILLYA is no more. Building a business in music has never been an easy feat and as less and less money is available in the industry, it has gotten even harder. The sacrifices that are needed are immense. Both physically and mentally we have been stretched to our absolute limit over and over again. It is entirely possible to not attempt to achieve the goals we had set, to set your sights a bit lower and exist in a less taxing lane – but that is of no interest to us, nor to any of the great artists we all admire. It requires a complete devotion to do every single thing possible, in every area of your life, to be ready and able to move this vision forward. There are few insane enough to attempt this, and less each day.”
“Shortly after returning from this last tour Drew informed us that he would no longer be able to tour. True to our nature, we immediately set out to find a replacement and carry on. The Battlecross guys recommended a killer drummer out of DC who was scheduled to drive 5 hours up today to practice with us, and from my conversations with him I feel he had a strong possibility of being a good fit. At a minimum, he shares the drive described above and is an insane player. However, Monday night Eric quit IKILLYA, and after much soul searching and discussion with Rob, we have decided that IKILLYA has run it’s course.”
“Aside from the fact that rebuilding would make us a cover band of a cover band, Eric is a terminally unique artist and player. I believe there are few on the planet who can play at his level and more importantly, there are surely none who operate in the same brain-space. This means that the band would need to be redefined, yet again. The amount of emotional energy we have invested, the amount of money (much still owed) we have invested, coupled with this has turned this dream to ashes in our mouth.”
“We again thank you for giving a damn about what we have done. Rob and I currently have no intention of this being the end of our careers, but where we both go from here is uncertain. He is one of the most loyal and honest humans I’ve ever met (aside from being an excellent showman and bassist) and I look forward to being his friend for years to come. Maybe we’ll even get to play together again. See you in the future.”
Jason and Rob say more in the video below:
Like many fans out there, I was shocked and saddened by this news. I’ve been covering IKILLYA for many years now, and not just because they are my friends, but because I believed in what they were doing. I’ve seen the work they’ve put into writing their albums, booking tours, surviving the road, and more. They worked their asses off, and in my opinion, never got a real shot like many other undeserving bands got. Maybe I’m biased, but like IKILLYA, I’m just being honest, and that’s what I’ll miss most. In a world falling apart, their music was an honest and thunderous call to stand up for your beliefs, and we need that more than ever right now. As they said in the video above, they have a lot more to say, and hopefully we’ll hear more in the future.
For now, enjoy some of my favorite tracks from them below.
Thank you IKILLYA.