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Dallas Green Says Alexisonfire Was 'Killing' Him, Is Fine Being 'The Villain' After Split

AlexisonfireDine Alone

When Alexisonfire announced they were splitting up last Friday with an official band statement by singer George Pettit, the Canadian punk band's other singer, Dallas Green, was doing what he's so often doing of late: Touring solo under his other moniker, City and Colour.

It was precisely this dual life and schedule that led him to leave the band he co-founded in 2001, a decision he took back in 2010 and kept quiet about until now. After performing a City and Colour set at Lollapalooza in Chicago this Sunday, Green sat down to explain why he felt it necessary to choose one project over the other and how he feels about the idea of a future Alexisonfire final tour.

The press release said you quit over a year ago. Why keep it a secret until now?

I wanted to do it 15 months ago. But when I told the guys that I was planning to leave the band when we finished touring at the end of last year, they didn't want to say anything because they thought it put a lot of pressure on them to come up with a decision right away about what they were going to do. I wanted to announce that I was leaving the band so that people who maybe weren't going to come to those shows because "I've seen Alexis five times, I'll wait 'til they come through again" would know that it was going to be the last time you'd get to see Alexisonfire as what we were.

But everyone else wanted to wait, and I respected their wishes, because everyone knew what I was going to do, and obviously they were shocked and didn't have a gameplan. Then as time went on, it started getting tough because I was doing press for my new record and I had to lie. I felt really weird about lying about it, so I tried to answer it a vague way so that when it did come out it didn't sound like I was completely lying. But I was.

He described it in the announcement as "not amicable."

It's the truth, right? They didn't want me to leave the band. They said, "Why can't you just keep doing what we're doing, go back and forth?" Well, that's why I'm leaving, because it's killing me. As much as they saw me always on tour and always putting records out back to back to back, I don't think they really understood that I was literally never home.

When people would ask me when I'd make the decision, I'd joke, "When I have a nervous breakdown." But I have already had those. I was in the hospital with pneumonia. I've lain in the bus crying uncontrollably at night. I was living this unbelievably blessed life but I had no idea how to enjoy it because I was running myself ragged, trying to appease my commitments to Alexisonfire but also trying to appease all the people that were showing interest in City and Colour. It just got to a point when I had to make a decision. A very hard decision. But after 10 years, my heart ... well part of my heart is there, but most of my heart is with this.

Watch Alexisonfire's Video for 'The Northern'

So you've played your last show with Alexisonfire but nobody knew. How do you feel about that?

I hate that. I really wanted to tell people. Like George said, we've talked about doing some final shows. But to me, I've already played my last Alexisonfire show. In my heart, the last show was in St. Catharine's, Ontario in 2010.

How do you feel that instead of replacing you, the band is splitting up?
A part of me is happy that, as George said, we didn't pervert the legacy. But a part of me wishes that they could continue, keep going.

Now that the news is out, are you relieved?

I'm relieved right now because I can finally tell my side of it. In the write-up it doesn't tell my side of it. It says I left the band a year ago but it doesn't say that they asked me to keep quiet about it. Like I said, I would have announced it right away.

Some of the immediate response from fans over the weekend was negative towards you. What do you say to the people who think you're the villain?

I knew that no matter how George framed it, I was going to be looked at as the villain. And that's fine. We were a band way longer than 90 percent of people who heard us in 2011 thought we were going to be. We put out four records. We did something for aggressive Canadian music that nobody else had done up to that point: we were a weird sounding band that started getting played on the radio and MuchMusic and I feel good about that.

I feel good about the 10 years that we had together. But bands break up. People move on and do other things.

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Arisen Pariah

Nobody will read this, but so what? To make any judgement about Dallas' decision is a decision based in ignorance. There is no way for any of us to understand his experience. I can only imagine the pressure of having to decide whether, to carry on a monumental legacy that could very well leave him with the monumental regrets that come from not following the heart's wishes, or disbanding such an important symbol of the human identity and consciousness, that is Alexisonfire. Not to forget that the heart wrenching effect it inevitably would have on millions of fans could be insanely difficult to deal with. To compare Dallas' decision with the decisions made by the poor, brave, and misinformed souls of the military is like comparing a monkey to a monkey wrench. Sure, they share one term but in almost no way are comparable. In the same way, Dallas and the troops make tough decisions, but not at all the same ones. On a side note, I honestly hope that most listeners actually understand the direction the band took with Old Crows/Young Cardinals. The message is sooo important. They recognize that we are coming close to an end of this system of things and are trying to spread a little truth, though somewhat obscured, throughout their poetry. I think the saddest part of this breakup is that this album, especially, did not get the recognition it deserved, though, I believe it to be a matter of time before it makes sense to increasingly more and more people. Alexisonfire, I am so very deeply sad that there will be nothing more to come of your band or that I never had the opportunity to see you live in your element. You were there for me through the years, evolving, growing up as I grew up, changing your focus as life's priorities became clearer, allowing me to identify with somebody, lending words to thoughts and feelings I could never describe on my own. But yet still, most important, you were ALWAYS there for me, and you never even knew it! I feel so lucky to have been a part of this project, indirect as that may be. Like so many others whose lives you've touched, brought clarity to, and even saved, I will miss you with a heart heavy enough to sink the sun. I thank you endlessly and wish you the best of good luck.

October 24 2011 at 9:51 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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August 21 2011 at 9:29 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
phillip

I respect Green's decision. If anything the break up only makes me less fond of the other members. Sounds almost as if they didn't really care or take notice to the health of Green. He was obviously in a lot of distress as reflected in his newest album. Hopefully he's able to settle down and spend time with his family now, but still maintain his musical career in City and Colour.

August 15 2011 at 1:56 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Penelope Money

Dallas Green didn't say that Alexis was killing him. He clearly said that it was the back and forth between the 2 bands that was killing him. Typical media spin.

August 12 2011 at 7:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Michael Colucci

"I've lain in the bus crying uncontrollably at night." I have no respect for millionaires who cannot handle fame and fortune; and we're supposed to feel bad and sympathize with him? There are service men and women around the world fighting so this guitar player and singer can do what he wants, sing what he wants and so we can all leave comments on the internet. Here's a link to the most recent story about people that should and deserve to lay in bed crying uncontrollably. http://news.yahoo.com/portraits-navy-seals-killed-helicopter-crash-211229301.html Men and women who will never see thier sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, friends or extended family again. I am guilty of bitching about stupid things from time to time but I am quickly silenced when I remember what other people are sacrificing/have sacrificed for me. I could write these comments about endless stories on the internet but this one hit close to home as a fan of Alexisonfire, and it truly makes me sick to hear people such as Dallas Green speak of themselves as not knowing how to enjoy a life of doing something they love while making millions of dollars doing it. Maybe Dallas has emotional, psychological or even physical problems, but self centered behavior and comments such as this from people like him are disgusting. Granted, he is not American, so maybe he is not obliged to care about United States service men and women, but the fact that some are fans of his work should be reason enough to suck it up and enjoy what some of these brave men and women are doing for him by buying his albums and supporting him. God Bless the United States of America and thank you to everyone past and present who has served and to all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

August 10 2011 at 4:12 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
3 replies to Michael Colucci's comment
M.

Q: do you like french fries?
A: a part of me is, but a part of me is not

August 10 2011 at 8:19 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Vandamsel

Why would you continue with something when your heart was no longer in it? People grow and change and lives go in different directions.
If they didn't break up but continued to make music with less passion and heart then people like 'ryan' would be complaining about how they weren't a good band anymore.
Nothing can last forever and he should only be wished good luck for his future endeavours.

August 10 2011 at 6:48 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Shinji

@ryan: I hate selfish fans, I'm glad its only ur opinion...

August 09 2011 at 5:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Shinji

@ryan: I hate selfish fans, I'm glad its only ur opinion...

August 09 2011 at 5:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
snowboard.girl24

Good for Dallas for following his gut and making such a difficult decision. It's not easy when you feel pressure from all sides and you feel like you can't win no matter what you do. The outcome though is what's best for him and his life in the long-run and I commend him for doing that. Good job Dallas, keep doing what you do :)

August 09 2011 at 5:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply