After yesterday’s startling announcement that Jackie Joyride was leaving the band (see previous post), he posted this statement in the comments of his Facebook profile.
Suffice to say that my passions have moved on to different endeavors, and the boys deserve someone who can truly offer their all in moving such an amazing group forward. I hold far too much respect for such friends to simply give anything less than my best, and so made the very difficult choice that i have come to. The album is indeed on it’s way, and you are going to love what you hear! And keep wearing those RdR shirts with pride! They will move on to do great things and I wish them all the best in their successes to come! For me though, the time has come to move on. So, rest assured, you have not seen the last of me, and rest assured, the same can be said of Run Devil Run!
Band line ups change. Truth be told this is the norm; stable band line ups are an anomaly. This band (including its former incarnation as Poets and Pornstars) has enough former members to form (almost) two bands (though they’d be heavy on the bass). 
Some bands change members more often than they change their socks (which, come to think of it may be why people leave. 
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I think the band would prefer it if you didn’t freak out and melt down in public forums like social networks. It’s okay to freak out in the living room in front of your dog. The dog will understand. 
Jackie would prefer it if you didn’t come after him with pitchforks and torches.
I was initially totally flummoxed by the timing of this announcement; after all the album will drop soon. But upon further reflection I realized that if Jackie wanted to leave the band to pursue his myriad other projects, this was about the only time he could do it without totally screwing over his bandmates, which he wouldn’t want to do.
There’s no good time to leave a band, especially one as busy and popular as this one, but some times would be much worse. If, say, you leave a band when they’ve got gigs booked. Or if you bail out of a band while they’re in the middle of recording an album. This would be very bad.
Run Devil Run has been recording the upcoming album for over a year. The past several months they’ve been recording and gigging almost continually. The album is done and right now they’re in the throes of post-production, pre-release stuff. If he’d waited another couple of months they’d be in the middle of gigging and selling the album. This brief lull (which isn’t, really) is the closest thing to a break in band activity as he’s ever gonna get. If he’d left any time before now the band would’ve been totally screwed.
As it is, the album is done, the band is tweaking the mix and working on things like album art, liner notes and generally preparing for the album release. 
So. You don’t need to wonder what the band is going to do because…you know what the band is doing: they’re working on getting an awesome album to you as soon as possible.
So. Eyes on the prize, people! The new album is on the way! There’s no need for a freak out or melt down…And don’t go after Jackie with torches and pitchforks. We cool? Cool! 
No reason why was given (so far). Given that the new album will be released soon, this move is baffling. He brought a lot to Run Devil Run and his departure will provoke much wailing and grief among RDR fans. Of course we wish him the best, but…I have to be honest here and say that I thought he was best in Run Devil Run.
I'm 
