Trapt are now in the market for a new drummer, after Michael Smith decided to leave the band, for “mostly political” reasons.
In a statement, which you can read in full below, Smith writes “There have been some issues going on (mostly political)” in the band, adding that “The positions taken … are not representative of myself … nor do they fit or are aligned with my personal moral and beliefs. ”
He makes it clear that “he doesn’t agree with the way certain things have been treated in relation to our fans and the music community, for which I have so much respect”.
Trapt did not have a good year, selling only 600 copies of his most recent album, after vocalist Chris Taylor Brown became more active on social media, sharing pro-Trump views. Taylor got into Twitter discussions with Power Trip, Ice-TNY Hardcore Vet Danny Diablo. Brown avoided payments to a music video director, and after inviting Proud Boys to a show, and canceling the show, the band’s Facebook and Twitter pages were closed because of hate speech allegations.
Smith’s statement says:
“After playing drums at Trapt in recent years, I decided to leave the band. This is definitely a bittersweet decision. There have been some problems going on (mostly political) throughout 2020 that many of you may know, others may not. If you’re curious, just search Google. I respect everyone’s right to have an opinion on politics. But at the end of the day, I’m a musician and my job is to play and create music. So this is what I intend to do.
“As I still communicate and have a great relationship with the guys in the band, I’ll just speak for myself. The postures taken and the publicity received as a result are not representative of myself. Not as an individual, nor appropriate or aligned with my personal morals and beliefs. I don’t agree with the way certain things have been dealt with by our fans and the music community for which I have so much respect.
“I wouldn’t be able to have a career in music and / or be fortunate enough to support my livelihood without the incredible support of everyone involved (from fans to the local team, musicians, etc.). who have helped and enabled me to use my gifts and talents, and allowed me to move forward on my musical journey.
“It was one of the best periods of my life in the past two years. But at the end of the day, I don’t agree with many things morally and with the publicity that the band received, especially last year, in 2020 … It’s time to move on and look for other paths and projects.
“A big thank you to everyone who has supported my musical journey so far …
-🙏🏼 ”
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