On June 24, 2016 pop punk band Yellowcard released their new single, Rest In Peace, off their self titled album, set to be released September 30, 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUNw3xAbNPc
If you went to looked at Yellowcard's facebook page in the first half of the 1pm hour on Friday, June 24 you would see a brand new cover page, profile picture, and a picture, shown below, of what I can only infer is the cover photo of their newest album, self-titled Yellowcard.
The caption "We have an important message we want to share with you all. Please go to our website - yellowcardrock.com" led to so many people wanting to know if this was goodbye, or lyrics to their newest song that their site crashed within minutes. While the bands site was back up within an hour, the message was one many fans, including myself, did not want to read. Roughly five paragraphs long, Yellowcard's goodbye letter was heartfelt and heart breaking.
"Putting this into words hasn't been easy. When saying farewell, it is hard to know where to start, especially when there are so many reasons not to say it, but the time has come to share this news. After countless discussions and months of thought, we have decided that it is time for Yellowcard to come to an end. This will be our last album and our final world tour.
The decision was an incredibly difficult one for us to make........but these memories will never leave us....Please come and join us on our last trip around the globe. We hope to share this final record and tour with each and every one of you.
"I won't be with you, but I won't be far away and this is goodbye."
-Ryan, Sean, Ryan, and Josh"
While few fans have been with Yellowcard since its start up in 1997 as a hardcore punk band, most of the bands currant fan-base has been with Yellowcard since the 2003 release of Ocean Avenue, and the band's transition to pop punk. 13 years since the bands newfound identity of pop punk, and almost 20 years since the bands initial creation, Yellowcard is saying goodbye to their fans and breaking up.
From original members; Ben Dobson, Todd Clary, Ben Harper, Warren Cooke, Longineu Parsons III and Sean Mackin to the final lineup; Ryan Keys, Sean Mackin, Ryan Mendez, and Josh Portman, Yellowcard will be a remembered band, and I personally will be sad when their final album comes out and I will not longer get to have the excitement of hearing about a new Yellowcard album.
Yellowcard will be joining Journey's Vans Warped Tour one last time in summer 2016 which started June 24. Starting their final tour just a short 3 weeks afterward and ending their last world tour in December or 2016 in the UK. As we see Yellowcard come to an end, we may say goodbye in good faith that there are no feuds between the band mates, no loose ends left untied, and no song left unsung.
Finally,
To the four amazing band members of Yellowcard, I thank you for the amazing albums and songs you've given us throughout the years. From the amazing lyrics, to the melodic guitar rifts and violin solos. I'll miss you four as a band. I've listened to Yellowcard for 10 years, I've sang all the songs, and I'll never forget the times I spent awake at night crying while Yellowcard and Simple Plan's songs soothed me to sleep.
Lifelong fan, SRW.
