SKINDRED drummer ARYA GOGGINS has opened up about last year's departure of the band's founding bassist DAN PUGSLEY, revealing the bassist had been unhappy for some time before eventually parting ways with the Welsh ragga-metal outfit.
Speaking with The Itch podcast, Goggins confirmed that Pugsley wrote "90 percent" of SKINDRED's upcoming ninth album "You Got This" with the rest of the band before leaving. "[Dan] wasn't very happy for a long time. And it became apparent that we weren't that happy. I think it was in everyone's best interests for us to move forward without him — just for our happiness, his happiness. And we obviously thanked him for his incredible contribution — for everything."
Goggins elaborated on the dynamics of long-term band membership: "Sometimes you grow together, sometimes you grow apart. We didn't want to not do this — that was the most important thing for us. We were, like, 'We still feel the same, and we wanna just keep growing and keep putting out music and touring and do what we do.'"
Pugsley announced his departure from SKINDRED last November after nearly 25 years with the band. Frontman Benji Webbe previously addressed the split: "We have absolute respect for how long he was in the band and for his talent, commitment and contribution. There's no bad blood. But it was very obvious after making the album that [Dan] wasn't happy, and that unhappiness filtered into us. A parting of ways seemed the only logical thing to keep this band moving forward."
"You Got This" is SKINDRED's ninth studio album. A release date has not yet been announced. Bass duties are currently being handled by a temporary fill-in while the band searches for a permanent replacement.