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Artist News
Nightwish drummer takes break to combat insomnia
By Aly Barchi | Published on Thursday 7 August 2014
Nightwish drummer Jukka Nevalainen is to withdraw from the band for a while in order to try to cope with his longstanding – and now, debilitating – insomnia. In a statement, Nevalainen has said he feels he isn’t able to join the Finnish metallers in their plans to make a new LP, or to go on the road and play shows, “for the time being”.
He writes via the Nightwish FB: “For a number of years, I have suffered from occasional but very difficult insomnia, something that has been my unwanted companion during many of our tours too. I’ve done my best to try to control it or at least to cope with it. Still, we don’t even really know why we need sleep, so unfortunately there’s not much information available on why some of us suffer from sleeplessness. There is no 100% cure for the problem”.
He goes on: “During the last month, it has become evident for me that due to my insomnia, I can’t fulfil my duties as a musician in the way that I’d want and with the precision that the music deserves. Thus I have decided to step aside from my duties as the drummer of Nightwish during the recording of the forthcoming album and the subsequent tour. I will still be involved in managing the day-to-day affairs of the band, but the dearest and the most important thing, playing, is, for the time being, not possible. Time will tell what the future holds”.
Whilst the rest of a very sympathetic Nightwish remain optimistic that Nevalainen will be able to join them again if and when he regains his health, they have had to bring in Wintersun’s Kai Hahto to play drums on their TBA forthcoming LP.
Watch Nevalainan and the band discussing the situation in this clip:
