Just two months after the release of their new record Souvenier, Banner Pilot have announced the departure of longtime guitarist Corey Ayd, who is also a member of The Manix.
You can read the band’s full statement on the amicable split with Ayd below. They’re also looking for someone to fill his shoes – those who may be interested in joining the band can find more info on that down there as well.
Banner Pilot’s 4th full-length album Souvenir was released on April 15th through Fat Wreck Chords. The label has also handled the releases of the band’s albums Collapser and Heart Beats Pacific, as well as the remastered reissue of Resignation Day.
Statement, via Banner Pilot’s Facebook page:
“We have some crummy news to share— Corey has decided to leave Banner Pilot, and played his final show with us last weekend. It’s been awesome to have him as part of the band for the last few years, and we’re bummed to see him go. Luckily, it’s just because he has other cool stuff going on in his life right now, and not for a bad reason like him being adamant about moving the band in a ska direction.
Luckily for all of you, you can still check him out in his other band, The Manix, and we recommend you do so.
So, what does this mean for the other three sad sacks in Banner Pilot? Well, it means we need a new guitar player! If you’re interested, shoot an email over to bannerpilot@gmail.com. Here is the criteria:
1. You need to be good enough at guitar to play our songs (this is not necessarily the same thing as being “good at guitar”)
2. You need to be able to sing backups and occasional lead vocal parts live
3. You need to not be a piece of shit
Being down for touring, driving a van, etc are also important, but those are the three big ones. Beyond those things, we’re open— for example, don’t feel like you have to have a gruff voice or whatever.
We’re kinda just looking for a live / touring guitarist for now, but if it really works out (and you want to, obviously) it could become a songwriting / recording thing, too.
So wish Corey well on his next adventures and drop us a line if you feel like trying to fill his big shoes”