A new single was expected from Darlinghurst to follow up their previous Countrytown chart successes over the last four years after debuting in 2019 with Sorry Won’t Get You Back.
But today’s shock announcement was instead the bombshell news that two members of the group are no longer in the band after their ‘visions for Darlinghurst were not aligned’. Questions were raised earlier this month when the band’s social media photos were replaced with images of just its female members and now the change has been confirmed.
In a statement provided to Countrytown, the band, which now consists solely of Pagan Newman and Cassie Leopold, said:
“Having launched their career in late 2019 just before a two-year COVID lockdown, Darlinghurst have chalked up five #1 radio singles, a debut #1 ARIA Country Album, a Golden Guitar for Best New Talent, a growing live fanbase, and close to 5 million streams.
“In the years since, the members have faced personal and business challenges and differing ideas about how best to take the band forward while continuing to give their best to Darlinghurst.
“Earlier this year, it became clear the members’ visions for Darlinghurst were not aligned. The members have now agreed that Darlinghurst will move forward with Cassie and Pagan as the remaining original members. Cassie, Pagan, Jason and Matt are incredibly proud of what they have achieved together and grateful for their fans’ ongoing support.”
When we approached the band’s label and management Helium Music about the split, manager Mark Pope said philosophically, “In a heartbeat, life can turn on a dime for either good or bad. You don’t really know which at the time, and that can be scary. There’s a reason the front windscreen is THIS big and the rearview mirror this small. All you can ever do is go forward”.
The band have also revealed that their new single will be Unapologetic, which will hit streaming services on January 5. The song was written by all four original band members (alongside producers Michael Paynter and Michael DeLorenzis).
The new-look Darlinghurst are currently on the Cruisin’ Country eight-day cruise, with the first mainland show with the new line-up to be at Birds Basement in Melbourne on December 16. The band will also be performing at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in January.
Explaining the forthcoming single, Leopold said: “Unapologetic’s message is this - By all means listen to other people’s opinions, but don’t disregard your own. Don’t be afraid to disappoint if you don’t meet others’ expectations.
“Unapologetically know your own worth; fight for it if you must. Success comes in the lonely hours and it can be awfully lonely when it feels like it’s you alone against the world, but sometimes you just have to trust your gut and jump".
It seems that there’s been a LOT going down behind the scenes and Countrytown wishes the members all the best for their respective journeys moving forward.
Countrytown brings you Australia’s best country music news, interviews, charts and more every week! This post was authored by Countrytown and originally published on the Countrytown website. It has been re-published with permission.
