Rock band Yellow Studs have announced that their drummer Tanaka Hiroki will be departing this year.
He will leave the band after the final performance of their upcoming tour, which will begin in February and conclude on May 20th at Umeda Shangri-La. However, the remaining members were quick to state that they have no intention of stopping activities.
In a statement on their official website, Tanaka apologized for the timing of his withdrawal and explained that he came to this decision because this is a very important time for the band and he feels like he is not able to contribute enough. He stated that he has no current plans to continue with musical activities, but that he might think about it if there is something he can contribute to the scene in the future.
Formed in 2003, Yellow Studs' line-up has remained largely unchanged throughout their long career, with the exception of their drummer. Tanaka is their third. He officially joined the band in 2014, shortly after Maekawa Kazuhiko announced that he would be taking a hiatus from the group in 2013.
Yellow Studs just released an EP titled GRAB on December 6th and a live DVD documenting their first overseas performance, Yellow Studs in Taiwan, on December 24th. The band's acoustic side project Yellow Studs Acoustic Band (formerly known as Team Garakuta) also just released its third album, A long way, on January 10th this year.
The video for Boots from GRAB can be viewed below, followed by a trailer for Yellow Studs in Taiwan.
