Colbie Caillat, Justin Kawika Young Announce Departure From Gone West
This is shocking and disappointing news.
Just two months after releasing their critically acclaimed debut album, Canyons, two members of Gone West have decided to leave the band. In an announcement posted to her Instagram on Wednesday afternoon (8/12), Colbie Caillat announced that she and her ex-fiancee Justin Kawika Young would no longer be a part of the band.
“After a lot of thought during this time, Justin and I have decided to leave Gone West. Creative partnerships, especially with friends, are both rewarding and challenging at times, and though this was not an easy decision, we know ending the band was the right one,” the songstress writer. “Justin and I are best friends, and will continue to make music together forever.”
She continues, “We’re so proud of the music the four of us created together over the past three years. Canyons is an album we truly love and cherish, every song holds so much truth in the experiences we all go through in life. I want to thank all of my fans and all of Gone West’s fans for supporting our music, coming to our shows and everything in between.”
The post ended with several thanks yous to her team for their support. “I also want to thank country radio, JR & Sirius XM, Triple Tigers and our entire team’s hard work and creativity, and for believing in us and helping our music get out into the world. Thank you all. Here’s to whatever comes next …”
The news of Caillat and Young’s departure comes just four months after the couple announced that they had ended their engagement after five years (they had been together for over a decade).
The group, originally comprised of Caillat, Young and married couple Jason Reeves and Nelly Joy (formerly of the JaneDear Girls), released their first EP in January 2019. The group shared subsequent singles over the next year and a half until the release of their debut album Canyons.
The band formed after a songwriting session, showcasing their musical compatibility.
“It established the foundation of the music that we created together and that was the sound that we wanted to represent the four of us,” Caillat told Sounds Like Nashville in a phone interview previously about the song that started it all, “When To Say Goodbye.” “It definitely was a big part of the catalyst for Gone West,” added Young.
No word yet on what this means for the remaining members of Gone West and if they will continue under the same band name.
