Four Year Strong part ways with Josh Lyford

Four Year Strong have announced that they have parted ways with keyboard player Josh Lyford. Lyford will continue to work on his new band, Foxfires.

The band posted the following message on their website:

"Someone once told me, as you get older life gets more complicated, and while I always knew that to be true, I don’t think I ever really got the full brunt of that statement. There are the obvious things like love, money, taking on the duties of your parents to make sure you don’t stink or look like a pile of trash before you leave the house, but those are just more responsibilities. The true nature of that statement never rang with me until right now. Having gone through one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to. The emotional rollercoaster FYS has gone through in this past week will have a lasting effect on us. Having to even write this to you now, finding the right words, it feels impossible.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce, that our keyboard player, Josh Lyford and Four Year Strong are parting ways. It was one of the most difficult things we’ve ever had to deal with, but we believe it will be best for everyone.

Josh will continue on with his band Foxfires and focus more on his writing. Four Year Strong will continue on, focusing on upcoming tours and new record. Alan, Joe, Jake, Josh and myself still remain great friends. This isn’t the type of split where we all hate each other and there’s all this drama. We wish Josh all the luck and success in the world, he’s an extremely talented writer and we can’t wait to read what he writes next. Josh was special at what he did; he wasn’t just a keyboard player. There’s no way to replace what he did on stage or off. So we are not going to try. We are going to continue on as a four piece.

We would like to thank all of our fans in advance for your support, for all of us. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone on this upcoming tour that starts in a few days, please come out and say hello."

The band will be returning to Australia in September as a part of the Soundwave Revolution festival.