Freddie Cowan announces departure from The Vaccines ahead of solo debut album
The Vaccines’ guitarist says farewell to the band — for now.
Photo: Press
Freddie Cowan is no longer a member of The Vaccines. Announced on Wednesday, Cowan will not continue as the lead guitarist for the West London pentad. He is the second member to depart in the band’s history; drummer Pete Robinson left in 2016.
The announcement comes on the heels of the release of Cowan’s debut solo album under the name Freddie And The Scenarios. Answer Machine is his body of work apart from the group, and has received critical acclaim already. During his time as The Vaccines’ guitarist, he contributed to five studio albums and seven EPs.
The decision to depart was not an easy one. Cowan states: “It hasn’t been easy to come to this decision, but in my heart I know it’s time to step down from my position in The Vaccines for the foreseeable future.” While this leaves an opportunity for him to return to the band, as of now he will be focusing on his solo work. There appears to be no bad blood between him and his former bandmates, as Cowan dotes over the band in his farewell and concludes by hoping “[The Vaccines] continue to new heights for years and years to come.”
For now, the British indie rockers are a quartet. If that is subject to change it is unknown at this time. Freddie And The Scenarios’ debut album, Answer Machine, is available on Bandcamp and will be released internationally on March 23rd.
