Controversial Rock Band Reunites Despite Sexual Assault Allegations Against Frontman: Latest on Brand New and Jesse Lacey

In a surprising move, emo rock band Brand New has announced a new tour for the first time in eight years. The band went on hiatus in 2017 after frontman Jesse Lacey was accused of sexual misconduct with a minor.

When the allegations released, the band canceled its UK tour. After two more women came forward with additional allegations, the band’s music was removed from Spotify Wrapped lists — an unprecedented move at the time.

Lacey posted a statement in 2017 after the band’s hiatus apologizing for “the actions of his past,” saying he was “sorry for how I have hurt people, mistreated them, lied, and cheated. I am sorry for ignoring the way in which my position, status, and power as a member of a band affected the way people viewed me or their approach to their interactions with me. And I am sorry for how often I have not afforded women the respect, support, or honesty that they deserved, and which is their right.”

The band, originally formed in Long Island, New York, was once one of the most celebrated emo rock groups of all time. They are best known for their critically acclaimed third album The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, which was incredibly influential to the genre as a whole. Their most recent album, 2017’s Science Fiction, went #1 on the Billboard 200 and was also critically acclaimed.

The band will play three shows on their new tour, in Dallas, Nashville, and Newport, Kentucky.