Last year was a bizarre one for many bands, but Trapt might take the WTF cake. They first made headlines in April for a feud with Ice-T, then tried to defend some rough sales numbers, and ended 2020 with a Facebook and Twitter account ban after singer Chris Taylor Brown went on some pretty cringeworthy political rants pertaining to Proud Boys and questioning systemic racism in the United States.
With all that in mind, it’s really no surprise Michael Brown decided to dip the hell out. On Sunday, the drummer revealed his “bittersweet” decision to quit the band in a lengthy message on Instagram.
“After playing drums for Trapt for the past couple years, I have decided to step down from the band. This is definitely a bittersweet decision,” he began before addressing (without naming names) the mess that was 2020. “There have been some ongoing issues (primarily political) throughout 2020 that many of you may know about, others may not. If you’re curious, it’s just a google search away. I respect everyone’s right to have an opinion on politics. But at the end of the day, I am a musician and my job is to play and create music. So that is what I plan on doing.”
Brown assured that he still has “great relationships” with his former bandmates and “will only speak for myself. The stances taken, and publicity received as a result are not representative of myself,” he wrote. “Not as an individual, nor fitting or aligned with my personal morals and beliefs. I do not agree with how certain things have been handled towards our fans and the music community who I have such an immense respect for.”
The drummer continued by thanking everyone, from fans to venue staff, for helping his career flourish. “It has been one of the best periods in my life the past couple years,” Brown added. “But when it comes down to it, I do not agree with a lot of things morally and the publicity the band has received, mainly this past year in 2020…It is time for me to move on and pursue other avenues and projects.”
See Brown’s full message below.
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