Unhealthy Wolves guitarist AJ Rebollo has give up the heavy metallic band after a dispute over the choice to launch a canopy of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” simply days after her demise. Rebollo, who joined Unhealthy Wolves as a touring guitarist in 2023, claimed the deliberate tribute grew to become the “closing nail within the coffin” following a number of disagreements with the group’s document label. The guitarist stated members had opposed releasing the track after Parton died as a result of she may now not contribute the visitor vocals that had reportedly been deliberate.
Rebollo introduced his departure in a prolonged assertion shared on social media. “I can now not in good religion stay a member and co-sign the selections continuously being made FOR this band by the label, amongst different points I’ve with the interior workings of the enterprise,” he said.
The guitarist acknowledged that he anticipated sure challenges when he joined Unhealthy Wolves, however claimed he didn’t initially perceive the complete extent of the band’s inside issues. “Once I stepped into the image, part of me knew what I used to be stepping into, however the full extent of it was unknown to me,” he stated.
“I’ve been at odds with one too many choices being made for the band for fairly a while, however the closing nail within the coffin was the label’s resolution to maneuver ahead with the upcoming Dolly Parton cowl, after we blatantly expressed our opposition,” he added.
In keeping with Rebollo, the band had been engaged on a heavy metallic model of “Jolene” earlier than Parton died at age 80 following a short battle with most cancers. The discharge proceeded regardless of opposition from a number of members, in keeping with Rebollo’s account.
Dolly Parton Was Reportedly Set To Document Vocals
Unhealthy Wolves founding drummer John Boecklin stated the quilt was initially supposed to grow to be a collaboration with Parton. The band had already recorded a demo that includes its new lead singer, Sara “Killboy” Skinner, and deliberate to incorporate the monitor on its subsequent album.
“Our new singer is a giant fan of Dolly and had posted a bunch of movies of her overlaying ‘Jolene.’ So, we determined to make a heavy metallic cowl model for our subsequent album,” Boecklin stated. “On listening to our model, our label CEO Dan Waite despatched the completed demo to Dolly’s supervisor Danny Nozell with a request for Dolly to visitor function on our model.”
He stated they heard again that Danny had performed the monitor to Dolly, and that “Dolly liked our model, and that Dolly was going to enter the studio and add her vocals very quickly.”
The band then “despatched over the stems for Dolly’s studio engineers to work with,” and “like everybody, we had been devastated [by] this week’s information of Dolly’s passing.” The band stated they are going to honor Dolly’s “unimaginable legacy by donating proceeds from ‘Jolene’ to the Dolly Parton Creativeness Library.”
Parton reportedly heard and approved the group’s rendition earlier than her demise, however didn’t document her contribution.
Guitarist Frightened About How The Tribute Would Look
Rebollo claimed members now not wished to launch the monitor as soon as a collaboration with Parton grew to become unimaginable. “We, as an entity, informed the label we had no real interest in releasing the quilt after studying of Dolly’s unlucky passing as her collaboration on the track was now not a risk,” Rebollo stated. “And we felt it could (understandably) be interpreted as considerably of a capitalization on her passing from an out of doors perspective.”
Though Rebollo supported donating proceeds to Parton’s literacy nonprofit, he remained uncomfortable with the choice and its timing. “Whereas the donation to her Creativeness Library is an unimaginable option to do one thing good with the income, I can’t assist however really feel there’s unwell intent behind the choice to launch the track,” Rebollo stated.
The guitarist didn’t accuse his bandmates of making an attempt to take advantage of Parton’s demise. As a substitute, his criticism was directed towards choices he alleged had been being made by the label with out enough regard for the band’s needs.
Label Disagreements Allegedly Took A Psychological Toll
Rebollo stated the “Jolene” dispute mirrored a bigger sample of frustration behind the scenes. “With the label fully disregarding quite a few choices we make out of ardour, and in the end simply unknowingly exhausting the band’s makes an attempt to totally take pleasure in being right here, I’m now not comfortable right here,” Rebollo stated.
He added, “The quantity of hate, negativity, and harassment we obtain each day as a result of choices made outdoors of our management has taken an enormous toll on our sanity.”
Regardless of leaving with out one other job secured, Rebollo stated he may now not compromise his creative values. “…I’ve no real interest in being a vessel for what I imagine to be horrible choices,” Rebollo stated. “Music is my job, my livelihood, and most significantly, my ardour.”
He continued, “Stepping away from that is completely terrifying as I’m sacrificing what little I’ve left in the case of stability inside the music world. I have no idea what the longer term holds for me relating to that.”
Rebollo additionally thanked Boecklin and the label for serving to him assist himself throughout his time with the band.
Rebollo Insists He Has No Unwell Will Towards Unhealthy Wolves
Though his exit was prompted by a significant dispute, Rebollo emphasised that he nonetheless cared in regards to the musicians he labored alongside. “This isn’t, by any means, some form of name to arms in opposition to anybody, nor do I want unwell will on anybody concerned within the label’s resolution making,” he stated.
“I completely liked the time I obtained to spend with the band. I really like all of them (the outdated and new members) as bandmates, individuals, and pals,” Rebollo continued. “I liked creating this upcoming album with them as I feel it’s a genuinely unimaginable piece of artwork, however it is a resolution I simply should make.”
Unhealthy Wolves was co-founded by Boecklin in 2017. The group achieved a multi-platinum breakthrough the next 12 months with its cowl of The Cranberries’ “Zombie.” Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan had reportedly planned to record vocals for the track earlier than her demise in January 2018. The track was subsequently launched with out her contribution and have become Unhealthy Wolves’ greatest business success.
Boecklin is now the one founding member who stays in Unhealthy Wolves. The group’s earlier lineup has included vocalist Tommy Vext, guitarists Doc Coyle and Chris Cain, and bassist Kyle Konkiel.
A launch date has not been introduced for the band’s fifth full-length album.
