As It Is Have Announced The Departure Of Guitarist Ben Langford-Biss

It’s the end of an era.

As It Is have this morning announced the amicable departure of founding member and guitarist Ben Langford-Biss.

In a short statement shared on social media, Ben explained his departure, and As It Is announced a final farewell tour of the UK and Europe to send him off properly.

You can read Ben’s statement in full below:

“Dear friends & fans; I have made the difficult decision to step away from As It Is. Before anything else I would like to thank the other four boys in their support and understanding of my decision. They are still my brothers, best friends and I will cherish always the memories we made together.

I am incredibly grateful and proud of everything we have achieved and created together, and for everything you, the fans, have allowed us, however it is time for me to pursue other paths & projects in my life. Three albums and years of relentless touring takes its toll & has brought me and those closest to me to breaking point a number of times. This was by no means an easy decision to make having dedicated my life into it for almost eight years, but as the years have gone by my own ability and passion to live the life that comes with the music has waned. 

I will be doing one last tour in November with the boys in the kind of venues we cut our teeth in to say goodbye properly & have one last week or so playing music with my best friends. 

I am excited to see what As It Is do next and will be constantly supporting from the side-lines (hell, maybe they’ll still let me guest when I undoubtedly ask for a guest list spot to a show). 

I will most likely post a longer more candid, written piece at some point but for now, thanks for the memories, see you in November. BLB”

Check out the full list of tour dates, which will serve as both a farewell to Ben and ‘The Great Depression’ album cycle below:

NOVEMBER

04 – ROTTERDAM Baroeg
05 – BOCHUM Die Trompete
06 – LEIPZIG Naumanns
07 – HAMBURG Headcrash
08 – ANTWERP Kavka
09 – SOUTHAMPTON Joiners
10 – NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
12 – GLASGOW King Tuts
13 – MANCHESTER Academy 3
14 – LEEDS Key Club
15 – LONDON Dingwalls

via:: Rock Sound News