Frontman AJ Perdomo is leaving The Dangerous Summer due to no longer being able to deal with guitarist Cody Payne and to become a father. Read a message from Perdomo below:
Dear world,
I think it’s time to shed some light on my current situation with The Dangerous Summer. It’s hard to just sit here and let so many people live in the dark about what is going on.
6 months ago I made the decision to go home and be a father. Next month my daughter will be born, and I want to be there for her from the beginning. This is something that I’ve dreamt about my entire life, starting a family and raising kids of my own. I don’t want to miss this part of life. I know that I will never get a chance to live it again.
As far as the band goes, I originally wanted to do another album in time, and do some shows in the future. I wanted to carry on the name, and let the band just be stagnant while I spend time at home. It has come to the point where I can’t do that anymore. I’ve had a hard time sticking with Cody through this for a very long time, and there’s now a complete disconnect. I don’t have control over what the band does, says, or sells anymore; I don’t know what the future will be for them either. It has just become something that I need to personally disassociate myself from so that I can move on with my life.
I’m sad to let something go that has been such a blessing, and inspiration. Every one of you that came to the shows, sang along, and got tattoos of my words on your body; it is something that I’ll always carry with me. That was it for me, the Mecca of it all. You made me believe in myself and my abilities. You carried us to a place that we never imagined we could go. We started this band in high school, and did everything we set out to do plus some.
A serious thank you to everyone that has stuck by me through the thick and thin, you truly fulfill me. I love each and every one of you like a part of my family. You are the piece that I will miss the most through all of this.
As far as the future goes, I will always write and record music. I have these songs that are developing into something new already. I haven’t decided what to do as far as a band goes yet, but I assure you that you will be the first to know when it happens. I do hope that you will join me on my next musical journey.I am not giving up on my dreams. I’ve lived my dreams, and I will continue to push their boundaries.
With love,
AJ PerdomoI will hold a Q&A tomorrow at 6pm PST on twitter to answer anyones questions.
Cody Payne did an interview with PropertyOfZack:
AJ Perdomo has left The Dangerous Summer. The statement came today, but when was that decision made internally?
We all as a band, including AJ, decided we weren’t going to announce anything and just see how things play out. Sometimes TDS isn’t our biggest obligation, and right now is one of those times.
The band has been quiet since a summer headlining tour. If AJ made his wishes known regarding leaving the band then, why has it taken over six months to become public?
When we first talked about it, we had said that we didn’t want to announce it yet because we weren’t sure what the future had in store and we had still been talking about doing another album. It just wasn’t a thing we wanted to consider quite yet.
AJ’s statement alleged that you, Cody, have total control over band funds and somewhat hinted that all cash flow (not counting music sales) are going to your pocket. That frames you in a specific light. What’s your reaction to that?
I wish that were the case. I’m not quite sure how he could come up with that considering we are all connected to the band bank account and can see where every dime goes. I have had jobs over the last few years and also do graphic design for a lot of bands in the scene, and I also won a lawsuit for $80,000, which helped me. The band hardly made a lot of money and the money we did make… none went to me (unless it was evenly split), and no, I never had total control over the band though I did have a strong vision but when it came down to it everyone would always get a fair say. Ben and Matt would always give their two cents, but AJ just was usually too preoccupied to respond to emails and text messages. Lets just say he was never dedicated.
The Dangerous Summer re-signed to Hopeless Records for another album before Golden Record even came out. Why do that if there was tension?
There was never tension, that’s one thing the websites and blogs and fans never understood. There were never fights or arguments or anything. We were always the best of friends when we were together.
Is The Dangerous Summer done?
Who knows. We’ve broken up about 10 times. Sometimes people just need to chill out. AJ is really stressed and has had 8 months to find a job with a baby coming next month, yet he’s done nothing to find one. Even I found one literally the next day because I wasn’t sure what would happen.
What would you like to say to fans as the sole original member of The Dangerous Summer?
As we all know, I’ve always been the one to take the fall when there is drama online, just because I’d rather it land on me than land on the band, especially if the issue truly did come down to one person. Though I’ve learned in hindsight that method isn’t always the best one. I know my reputation looks bad but I’ve learned to become less concerned with it. I know who I am and what I’ve done and I know that I am a good person who has always had everyone best interest in mind. I know my drive and my passions. If this is the end of TDS, than it was a very successful one but definitely more of a learning experience. Luckily, I’m only 24 with a whole lot of music left in me.
I hope AJ can get through what he’s going through, I’m sure his situation is stressful and sucks and I just hope he gets better so he can stop aiming his anger at other people. I’d hate for his child to grow up around that.