In a new interview with People, original Three Days Grace frontman Adam Gontier explained his reasoning as to why he left the band back in 2013. He explained that his decision was largely driven by health issues, both emotional and spiritual, that he needed to address at the time.
“I think emotionally and physically and spiritually, I was in a really dark place,” he said of leaving the band. “We had been touring nonstop. It felt like for so long, and there was so much that had compounded for me. Mainly I was just not healthy. At the time, I just felt like I couldn’t do it and I needed to look after myself,” he continued. “I had to stop the machine from rolling — at least from my end. It felt like a giant machine. I was in the middle of it, getting thrown around.”
Looking back on his departure, Gontier admitted that his exit could be different and that he acted selfishly. “[It] could have been done a little bit more noble. [But I was] too deep into myself and what I needed and wasn’t concerned about anybody else.” He also admitted he had a lot of “living to do.”
Gontier was with Three Days Grace for 16 years before leaving the band on January 9, 2013, just before they were set to start a co-headlining tour. Matt Walst, the brother of bassist Brad Walst and the lead singer of My Darkest Days, stepped in as the new frontman.
However, the band announced in October last year that the singer was back in the band. They hinted at the news with a video on social media. In the video, Gontier leaves a voicemail for Walst, saying, “Hey Matt, It’s Adam… Uh, I’m just running a few minutes behind, but I’ll be at the studio soon, if you could just let everybody know. Alright man, bye.”
Three Days Grace released their last album with Gontier, ‘Transit of Venus,’ on October 2, 2012. A month after the rocker’s return, they have released a new song called ‘Mayday.’
