Shins boy Marty Crandall was jailed last week for allegedly assaulting his (now ex) girlfriend, Elyse Sewell. The keyboardist and occasional bassist is accused of beating up his other half during an altercation at a hotel in Sacramento, California last Friday. Sewell was also initially arrested and jailed for her part in the fracas, though she was let out before her former boyfriend, who was kept in jail until Sunday. Both of them are now due in court today.
The first reports of the incident came after Sewell made a blog entry about the whole thing. Among other things, she accused Crandall of being petty for insisting she also be charged over the bust up, writing: "Because he [Marty] had a bite mark, inflicted in self-defense, on his arm, Marty told the police to press charges of domestic violence against me. Now I am a felon. I spent the night in jail". She added that she was annoyed that the charges meant she would have to stay in Sacramento until today's court hearing, but added on a more upbeat note: "I'm single and um, ready to mingle. Blind date, anyone?"
Sewell's blog entry has now been taken down, seemingly following recommendations by her lawyer that it could affect her case in court, but not before it had been widely circulated on the net. With that in mind, The Shins label Sub Pop yesterday issued its own statement on the incident, saying: "Marty Crandall and his ex-girlfriend Elyse Sewell were both arrested over the weekend following an argument at a Sacramento hotel which resulted in hotel staff calling the police. They were both taken into police custody and released over the weekend. There will be no further comment at this time and we would appreciate their privacy being respected".