Josiah Johnson Will Not Join the Head and the Heart on Tour Due to Addiction Recovery

The Head and the Heart have revealed frontman Josiah Johnson will not be present for the band’s upcoming North American tour dates.

“Josiah is battling addiction and focusing on his recovery,” the band writes in a statement to their Facebook, “with all of us (and all of you) providing him with love, support and the privacy he needs to be strong on his journey, for as long as it takes him to feel solid and whole again.”

The Seattle indie-folk outfit has a handful of concerts planned this spring and summer. They’re scheduled to play this year’s Shaky Knees in Atlanta, Ottawa Bluesfest and Mo Pop Festival in Detroit. They also have a headlining gig with the Tallest Man on Earth at Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside of Denver. The band says Johnson “continues to be a strong presence within the band,” and he will work with his bandmates to find a temporary replacement for the upcoming shows. Read their complete message:

Hello from The Head and the Heart HQ. We have been working on a new album and are looking forward to getting back out on the road to do what we love, playing shows for our fans. We value our fans’ support, and in that spirit we wanted you to hear from us first that Josiah will not be joining us on stage this time around. Josiah is battling addiction and focusing on his recovery, with all of us (and all of you) providing him with love, support and the privacy he needs to be strong on his journey, for as long as it takes for him to feel solid and whole again. This is not an easy thing for us as he is very much a part of our family. Josiah continues to be a strong presence within the band, working with us to choose someone to temporarily fill in for him at the shows. We really look forward to seeing you on the road!

With Love Always,

Jon, Josiah, Charity, Kenny, Chris and Tyler

The Head and the Heart released their most recent album, Let’s Be Still, in 2013 via Sub Pop.

The Head and the Heart Tour
May 15: Atlanta, GA - Shaky Knees Music Festival
July 7: Ottawa, ON - Ottawa Bluesfest
July 23-24: Detroit, MI - Mo Pop Festival
Aug. 28: Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
* w/ The Tallest Man on Earth