The members of the embattled rock band Hedley have withdrawn from consideration for three awards at this year's Juno Awards and say they plan to "talk about how we have let some people down, and what we intend to do about it."
Last week, the Vancouver pop-rockers were dropped by their management team and blacklisted by scores of radio stations in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations that had been circulated by anonymous social media users.
In a statement released Monday, the band said it won't be cancelling 23 shows it has booked through March 23 because "the easy thing to do would be to cancel the tour and hide."
"We want to ensure that everyone understands our collective commitment to change, and to do better, is real. Saying a rock 'n' roll lifestyle was to blame -- or saying certain things happened because we were younger -- isn't good enough. We owe it to our families, our crew, our friends -- and most of all, our fans -- to do and be better," the statement reads, adding that the band will be saying more "in the coming days."
The former MuchMusic darlings -- fronted by Jacob Hoggard and including Dave Rosin, Tommy Mac and Jay Benison -- released a statement last Wednesday calling the allegations involving young fans "unsubstantiated" but acknowledged they "engaged in a lifestyle that incorporated certain rock 'n' roll cliches."
The two acts that were booked as openers for Hedley's current tour -- Neon Dreams and Shawn Hook -- both announced Friday that they were backing out of the rest of the shows.
According a video posted to YouTube on Sunday and purportedly shot at Hedley's concert Friday night in Brandon, Man., Hoggard thanked the crowd for "believing in us."
"Thank you for sticking with us through the good times and the bad, the ups and downs, the highs and the lows, you've been there and that's the only reason why we're still here," Hoggard said, although he did not reference the allegations the band faces.
"Thank you for your support, thank you for your love, we need it and it means the world to us."
A request for comment from the Junos was not immediately returned. The show is to be held in Vancouver on March 25th. Crooner Michael Buble will host.
Here is the full statement:
"In the coming days - and throughout this current tour - we intend to take responsibility, and talk about how we have let some people down, and what we intend to do about it.
That starts right now. As a band, we have decided to withdraw our name from consideration for any awards at the JUNOs. We do not wish to be a distraction at Canadian music's biggest night or to, in any way, take the focus away from the tremendous honour that is the JUNO awards.
We want to ensure that everyone understands our collective commitment to change, and to do better, is real. Saying a rock'n'roll lifestyle was to blame - or saying certain things happened because we were younger - isn't good enough. We owe it to our families, our crew, our friends - and most of all, our fans - to do and be better.
The easy thing to do would be to cancel the tour and hide. We don't intend to do that. We intend to start making positive changes, starting right now."
