Andy Edwards, current drummer with Tim Bowness' Butterfly Mind and Rain, and who has previously performed with Frost* and IQ, has announced he has quit every band he is currently working with, apart from studio-based jazz fusion trio Law Of Three.
In a lengthy video on his YouTube channel, which we have précised below, Edwards bemoans the current state of the music industry and the mindset of musicians he's worked with as being primary factors in his decision, which will see him concentrating on his YouTube channel and continuing his drum tuition.
"All the parties have been told," says Edwards in the video, the full version which we have linked to below "I have left every single band I am in. The only one I haven’t left is Law Of Three, because Law Of Three have no intention of becoming a gigging band.
"I’m not going to stop drumming. I hope to drum more. I hope to do more creative stuff, but what I am saying goodbye to is being in bands.
"My decision to stop being in bands in this way… I’m still open to being in bands but not bands that are following this old redundant way of doing things. I have to be honest and say this decision wasn’t solely made because of my views about the music industry. I have had personal issues. Sometimes you have different points of view and sometimes you get to a point where those different points of view are hard to get over. And I’ve spent a lifetime of being in bands and seeing them collapse in the long run because of differences of opinion.
"I’ve spent too much of my life trying to fight against this and spending two years until you realise that things are hopeless and you move on. And to be honest I’m tired of that as well. I’m tired of being in bands. I’m tired of having to find gigs to go to, I’m tired of the lack of money and you see the sort of drain of the music industry collapse around you.
“But what I’m really tired of is the mindset of musicians. We are at the arse end of rock. The thing is dying away. At some point it will be gone. And most of the values that we hold will be gone and forgotten."
Edwards' decision places a question mark over prog bands Rain, in which he featured with long-time rhythm section bandmate John Jowitt, Rob Groucutt and Mirron, and Tim Bowness and Butterfly Mind, who are due to headline the charity event Prog The Forest at the Fiddler's Elbow in Camden on December 1.
Edwards was also due to feature in RPWL and Blind Ego guitarist Kalle Wallner's live band for his forthcoming English dates for May 2025.
Again we should point out that we have précised the major points of Edwards' 45-minute statement here but you can watch the full video here.
