Guitarist Al Schnier and Zach Fleitz will no longer be a part of Floodwood, according to a statement posted on the band’s Facebook page. The change was accredited to “shifts in various life circumstances.”

The band said they intend to carry on without the two, as they also mentioned they have started the process of figuring out who will join the band in the future. “We are going to be trying some different combinations of musicians/friends until we get that “fit” we are looking for,” the statement read. Trey Anastasio Band bassist Tony Markellis, who lives in Saratoga Springs, NY, will join the band as a special guest during their upcoming show at Clinton, NY’s Kirkland Arts Center on December 5.

Read the full statement below.

Hi Folks,

We know things have been quiet for the last couple of months and there some big changes we want to share with you…
Due to shifts in various life circumstances, both Al and Zach have made the decision to move on from Floodwood. This is a huge change and we will certainly miss their presence on and off stage. Our hope is that occasionally when they have time that one or both of them will be able to make appearances with us.

That said, Vin, Jay and Nick have decided to carry on Floodwood in some fashion or another. You may be wondering what the new band will look like, who will be involved, what it will sound like, etc….. So do we. We have started the process/brainstorming but it may take a little time. What we do know is that we absolutely love to play, love to have fun and of course we love the interaction with our amazing fans. In the upcoming months, we will be making decisions about who we want to be in the band. We are going to be trying some different combinations of musicians/friends until we get that “fit” we are looking for. We hope that you all will come see some of these shows as we try out different things… Please get involved! Let us know what you think about what you hear; we want your input!

To get it all going, we are going to start with a holiday concert at the Kirkland Arts Center in Clinton, NY. We’re excited to have special guest, Tony Markellis from Trey Anastasio Band on bass! Show is December 5, more details to follow!

Thank you all for your incredible support of the band for these past 5 yrs. We’ve had so many great times with you all and look forward to many, many more.

Thanks!
Vin, Jay & Nick