Peter Hughes, the longtime bassist and vocalist for the Mountain Goats, has announced that he's leaving the band.
Hughes broke the news today in a lengthy statement posted to Instagram, citing "a tedious multitude of reasons including health and sanity and blah blah blah" as the reason for his departure.
"Not an easy decision, obviously, but a necessary one," the musician wrote, adding, "Not dying and not disappearing btw. Honestly not sure what's next but I've got a few ideas and am confident that we'll all be fine. So don't worry. I'll see you down the road!"
You can read Hughes' full statement below, as well as one from the remaining members of the band (John Darnielle, Jon Wurster, and Matt Douglas), who agree that the bassist's contribution to the band "can't be overstated."
Hughes was involved with the Mountain Goats since the mid-'90s, contributing background vocals to the 1995 EP Nine Black Poppies and touring with the outfit in 1996. That same year, the band released Nothing for Juice, followed by Full Force Galesburg in 1997, with Rachel Ware exiting the lineup between recording the two albums and Hughes taking over her position. He didn't play on an official Mountain Goats record until 2002's Tallahassee, but has since performed on all of them as of 2023's Jenny from Thebes.