Jason Aalon Butler has confirmed he will carry on performing under the Fever 333 moniker. The fiercely passionate frontman has taken to social media to reveal his intention to keep the Fever 333 project alive, despite the simultaneous exit of two-thirds of the band's lineup yesterday.
Butler took to Instagram to respond to the surprising decision of co-founding members drummer Aric Improta and guitarist Stephen Harrison to quit, revealing that he intends to continue the project and taking a moment to thank Aric and Stephen for their contributions. Butler's full statement reads as follows.
"I want to thank Aric and Stephen for their time in this project- not just because a statement feels required, but because I mean that. We shared some incredible experiences over the last few years and for that, I will always be grateful."
"To the supporters of Fever 333- I started this project in order to fill a space in music and culture that I have always wanted to see and know many others like and unlike me would also like to experience. Offering representation and progress not only on stages but through the art is paramount for me. I told myself I would not compromise that vision and I must hold true to that promise. Not only for me but the others out there looking for somewhere to feel free. So I want to take this moment to say thank you to Aric, Stephen and everyone who has made that possible thus far. The initial era of Fever 333 was incredible in so many ways and I am so excited to present to you the next one.
All LOV333. See y'all soon... -Jason Aalon Butler"
What that new era of Fever 333 may look like is unclear at this stage.
Drummer Aric Improta and guitarist Stephen Harrison announced they were leaving the group yesterday.
Improta and Harrison each took to social media, to announce their departures overnight. Harrison's post expressed that he was leaving as "things were pretty bad internally" with Improta sharing similar sentiments.
"Steve and I have decided to step away from Fever 333. It's layered, but ultimately, I’d just rather dedicate my time to projects that operate different than that one. Massive thank you to all of our fans, our friends and the amazing people who helped us along the way (you know who you are). We got to play some unforgettable shows, travel a ton and meet some incredible individuals. Steve and I will probably do something together in the future."
Harrison's full statement reads quite similarly.
"Aric and I have decided to leave Fever 333, I won’t get into the details but things were pretty bad internally. That plus creative differences sort of left me with no choice. That said, I’m so thankful for all the amazing fans, people who helped Fever behind the scenes, and my friends and family who supported me through all of this. Your support means so much! I still plan to make music. Aric and I will probably do something together in the future. Love you guys!! Know your worth!!!"
The departures of Improta and Harrison leave vocalist and bandleader Jason Butler as the only remaining member of the group, who are due to play the Good Things Festival down under in early December.
Butler formed Fever 333 with Harrison and Improta, following the disbandment of his previous group letlive.
Created with a vision of combining music with activism in a way that would deliver direct change on a community level, Fever 333 have risen to considerable heights since debuting in 2018 with the EP Made an America, releasing the records Made an America, Strength in Numb333rs and Wrong Generation and earned a reputation for their often explosive, unpredictable and captivating live shows.
When we spoke with Butler in July there was no indication of any internal issues, with the frontman revealing he was inspired by the desire to contribute to the changing face of rock music.
"If there's a headline to be taken from this whole thing, I think it is that the breath of survival of rock music is breathed by rap, I really do. I think that the rescue breath of rock music is going to come from a genre outside of rock and then create this new iteration of rock music, because that is what rock was, to begin with. We had chain gangs, we had blues, then we had rock, then we had hard rock, then we had metal and heavy metal and punk rock and hardcore, it all evolved. So we're standing at the precipice of this, this next ape of rock music, right? You know, like, we're watching it stand up and become bipedal. And now rock music is gonna grab a tool and become something new."
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