Fall Out Boy Guitarist Joe Trohman Stepping Away From Band—Full Statement

Joe Trohman has announced that he will be taking a break from Fall Out Boy ahead of the release of their new album So Much (for) Stardust.

The musician has been with the rock group—which also consists of singer Patrick Stump, bass guitarist Pete Wentz and drummer Andy Hurley—since its debut in 2001.

They first skyrocketed to fame, and onto the pop punk scene, with the release of their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree, followed by smash hit album Infinity on High.

Trohman shared a statement explaining his decision to leave the group temporarily on social media, which was shared by the band on Wednesday, January 18.

Here is everything that you need to know.

Fall Out Boy Guitarist Joe Trohman Stepping Away From Band—Full Statement

The band shared Trohman's statement with an image of him playing guitar, with his explanation being included in the caption.

In it, the guitarist wrote: "A note from Joe: Neil Young once howled that it's better to burn out than to fade away. But I can tell you unequivocally that burning out is dreadful.

"Without divulging all the details, I must disclose that my mental health has rapidly deteriorated over the past several years.

"So, to avoid fading away and never returning, I will be taking a break from work which regrettably includes stepping away from Fall Out Boy for a spell."

The band's next album, So Much (for) Stardust, is set for release on March 24 but Trohman explained that while he is proud of the music they have created he will not be taking part in the promotion of it.

"It pains me to make this decision, especially when we are releasing a new album that fills me with great pride (the sin I'm most proud of)," he continued, before dispelling any concerns fans might have about his hiatus becoming permanent.

He went on: "So, the question remains: Will I return to the fold? Absolutely, one-hundred percent. In the meantime, I must recover which means putting myself and my mental health first.

"Thank you to everyone, including my bandmates and family, for understanding and respecting this difficult, but necessary, decision.

"Smell you sooner than later, Joe Trohman."

Fall Out Boy debuted in 2003 with album Take This to Your Grave, and they became household names in the rock music scene when they released their breakthrough album From Under the Cork Tree in 2005, which featured singles like "Sugar, We're Goin Down" and "Dance, Dance."

The band followed this up with albums Infinity on High in 2007 and Folie à Deux in 2008, before the members decided to put the band on hiatus while they focused on their own projects.

Fall Out Boy returned in 2013 with their album Save Rock and Roll before releasing American Beauty/American Psycho in 2015, and Mania in 2018. So Much (for) Stardust is their eighth studio album.

In September 2022, Trohman wrote an essay for Newsweek in which he detailed his mental health struggles as a result of his upbringing, a topic he discusses in his memoir, None Of This Rocks.

Trohman described how his mother Cathie's inability to show him affection had impacted his mental health, saying: "I was diagnosed with severe clinical depressive disorder at the age of 10. To this very day I am in constant therapy, changing medications, trying new treatments, all to cope with and manage the mental havoc she wreaked."

He added: "It's embarrassing, shameful even, not to be able to let go of these things. I'm a grown man. I have a wonderful wife. I have two beautiful children. The band I started as a teenager became my career. I play guitar for a living, and I often get to do that in front of thousands of people. What I am saying is, I've got it better than good. So, I should be able to suck it up, buck it up and move on. And yet, I cannot."

So Much (for) Stardust will be released on March 24. The first single of the album "Love From The Other Side" is out now.

Update 1/19/23 4:24 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with background information.