Will Butler Leaves Arcade Fire: “Time For New Things”

Will Butler, Arcade Fire’s longtime multi-instrumentalist and younger brother of singer Win Butler, revealed that he’s leaving the band.

“I left at the end of last year after the new record was complete,” tweeted Butler. “There was no acute reason beyond that I’ve changed—and the band has changed—over the last almost 20 years. Time for new things.”

Butler joined Arcade Fire in 2003 after the departure of Brendan Reed, who quit onstage during one of the band’s shows and first appeared on the album Funeral in 2004. Will Butler has contributed as a writer and instrumentalist on every album since then, including the band’s forthcoming WE, out May 6, though he—nor multi-instrumentalist Richard Reed Parry—appear in the video for the band’s first single for the new album “The Lightning I, II.”

In addition to writing original songs for the 2021 David Adjmi Broadway play Stereophonic, Butler has released his own solo material throughout the past 17 years, including debut Policy in 2015, Friday Night in 2016, and third album Generations in 2020.

In his post, Butler said he was working on a new album and booking shows for summer 2022, along with some other projects, and thanked Arcade Fire fans for their years of dedication.

“Thank you to anyone who’s come out to [Arcade Fire] shows, or bought a record, or loves our music,” said Butler. “It’s meaningful to be part of your lives. Thank you to the crew, staff, management, label people, bands, artists, and friends who have helped bring our vision to life for so many years. The band are still my friends and family. I’ll be around! See you around.”

Photo: Merge Records