A sad day for The Steel Woods fans.
Frontman Wes Bayliss took to Instagram this morning to announce that they will be indefinitely coming off of the road from touring after 2024. The Nashville band put out their most recent album On Your Time last year, their fourth in total.
It was a heavy project in that it was the first record they released after the tragic, unexpected passing of lead guitarist, co-founder, and alt-country legend Jason “Rowdy” Cope at just 42 years old in 2021.
And Bayliss explained that, as one could imagine, it’s been quite difficult carry on with his friend. He also said that he’s “closer to God” than he’s ever been, and while taking some time off from touring over the last several months, he’s been able to see things more clearly than he ever has:
“After 8 unforgettable years of touring, we have made the decision to come off the road at the end of 2024, closing this chapter of our lives on a good note. When Rowdy and I first met and started playing together back in 2015, we had many conversations about what the future would hold for us as a band, and as individuals.
We would discuss the kind of music we wanted to create, the impact we wanted to make, and the experiences we hoped to share with all of you. The one thing we always agreed was most important was that there is a sense of purpose in everything we do.
Now, the prideful side of me would say that after all these miles down the road, we knocked it out of the park in that regard. But so much has changed in the last few years. Rowdy passing 2021 was such an incredible loss on every level.
Picking up and carrying the music on has seemed like the right thing to do, although continuing what he started without him has not been easy in the least.”
In the post, he noted that they will no longer be opening for Blackberry Smoke this fall in the UK or Europe, but more information on new shows and what the end of the year looks like for them is forthcoming.
It’s sad to see such a great band taking a step back in this way, but the road can be grueling to say the least and very understandable in terms of how Bayliss came to the decision. He also noted in the post that he’s been focused on writing, so it remains to be seen what the future holds in terms of new music way down the road.
He closed it out by thanking everyone who has supported them overt the years, and we wish them nothing but the best in this new chapter:
“To each and every one of you who have been a part of this wild ride, we can’t thank you enough. Your unwavering love and support has been the fuel to our fire for so long… we mean it when we say we love you!
With love and gratitude, Wes Bayliss.”
You can read the full post below.
