Grammy Award winning rock band Wolfmother has announced the resignation of bass/keyboard player Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett effective immediately.

Singer/guitarist Andrew Stockdale now plans to find other musicians over coming months and to then begin making a new Wolfmother album.

Wolfmother toured the world virtually non-stop through 2006 and early 2007 on the back of their acclaimed self titled debut album. Longstanding frictions within the group then lead them to take an extended break during the second half of 2007 to consider their future.

In early 2008 they regrouped and worked on new material. Initially encouraged by those sessions, they committed to a handful of live shows to ‘road test’ the new songs and to try to find a way forward.

Those dates concluded with a headlining slot last Sunday at the Splendour In The Grass Festival in Australia’s Byron Bay where rumours circulated about possible lineup changes.

Following that show Chris Ross decided to announce that he was leaving the band due to irreconcilable personal and musical differences. Myles Heskett has also decided to leave the band rather than continuing as part of a changed lineup. The pair has been working together on songs for some time and they plan to focus their energies on that new project in the future.

Wolfmother’s self titled debut album is one of the most successful Australian rock releases this century. It has sold over 1.3 million copies and received multiple ARIA Awards and a Grammy – making them the first Aussie band to receive such an award in 25 years. Other highlights for the group have included appearances at just about every major music festival in the world, sharing stages with Pearl Jam, The Who and The Strokes, and a special performance inducting the legendary Led Zeppelin into the UK’s Rock’n'Roll Hall of Fame.

Andrew Stockdale, Myles Heskett and Chris Ross will make no public statements at this time except to say that they are each really looking forward to making their new music over the years ahead.

In the meantime they simply ask all Wolfmother fans to please understand that in spite of their best efforts over a long period of time, they just could not find a harmonious way to work together and that has lead to the decisions announced today.

Now the forum has had plenty of bullshit rumours before, not least the Mammoth debacle (several people a day still find this site by searching Google for “Wolfmother Mammoth” – credit where it’s due, that was one rumour that had legs). So it wasn’t surprising that a newly registered member with no source to quote was quickly dismissed.

Today brought that person back, this time with a ‘source’ in tow. Well, to be honest, it still doesn’t verify their claims but it does cast some uncertainty over the band’s line up.

Triple J today announced in their Music News section:

Wolfmother line-up change after Splendour?
Wolfmother tore up the main stage for perhaps the last time with their present line up to close Splendour in the Grass 2008… watch this space for more. Richard Kingsmill talked to the band before they took the stage and delivered this unexpected new twist.

More news about the future of the band as we get it.
04/08/2008 05:35:03

So there is a rumour of a line up change. Whether it’s as predicted, with Myles and Chris leaving the band, we’ll have to wait and see. One thing is for sure, with no more tour dates announced and still no definitive album news, all is not well in the Wolfmother camp right now.

UPDATE – The band’s management have, according to Australia’s Courier Mail, denied the rumour about the line up change. But also confirmed that there has been tension within the band. I guess we’ll wait and see.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24127940-7642,00.html
RUMOURS abounded at Splendour in the Grass with whispers that headliners Wolfmother were playing their last gig featuring the original line-up.

Most speculation backstage on Sunday night centred on bassist Chris Ross leaving the band, or at least hanging up his touring shoes, to spend more time with his family.

Triple J picked up the on the goss as part of their web-based Splendour coverage, alluding to a line-up change but providing no details.

Wolfmother’s management and label yesterday both denied a line-up change is imminent.

“It is no secret that there always has been a little bit of tension in the band but at the moment, there is nothing to tell,” a Modular Recordings spokesman told Confidential. “No one is leaving and it’s business as usual.” According to the label, hair-bear frontman Andrew Stockdale, pictured, drummer Myles Heskett and Ross have laid down a handful of tracks in a Sydney studio which “sound amazing”.

News that Wolfmother remain a pack will be music to the ears of Modular boss Steve Pavlovic, after the label last week revealed accumulated losses of $5.9 million by the end of 2007.