#so he never had a solo project despite being interested but presumably in this frank would do lyrics

[autistme]

GREAT QUESTION. YOU WILL NOW RECEIVE A LATE NIGHT INFODUMP.

TLDR; Yes hiatus is up to James, but no it's not based on the accident

SO. the 2020-2023 timeline is

>Against me! is working on 8th album >starts tour two (2) days before shutdown >tour is cancelled >Zoom/virtual shit is just out of the question >???? shit happens >guess we will just wait until the world is back >James starts making pedals in his basement and selling them >Laura works on and releases Stay Alive on her own in 2020 because even if she cant coordinate shit online, at least she can work on the remnants of the album on her own (most if not all of Stay Alive was already written [including Shelter in Place despite the name!]) >Laura does a few shows in 2021, releases an EP >Atom joins a new band and releases an album, also does touring drums for a few bands throughout 2022 >Andrew joins a duo and the two of them release an album >Laura starts doing actual tours again in May 2022, live demoing songs left and right >James, surprising even himself, becomes Frank's guitar tech for MCR+Dunes >Against Me! is finally confirmed to be on indefinite hiatus in August 2022 >well shit >Frank was considering starting ANOTHER new band with James and Tucker, no clue how that's going nowadays or if it was dropped >Atom gets in a motorcycle accident and breaks several bones >well shit >passage of time >as of 2023 Atom is now fully recovered and in a wild turn of events joined Alkaline Trio >well shit >Laura remains touring and is releasing another solo album soon

SO. what does this all mean.

>Atom is probably not coming back (although who knows!) >Andrew is a complete wildcard, I did not see his return coming at all in 2018 so like anything could happen if the band gets together again!

BUT

These two, while like obviously important to the band with Andrew being the longest running bassist and Atom being a year shy of being tied with Warren for longest running drummer, Laura can make the situation work as it has happened several times where either a drummer will leave OR both the drummer and bassist will leave the band within short time frames. It sucks but the band has managed to keep going twice with the rhythm section having to be fully replaced.

BUT

What matters most is James. James isn't TECHNICALLY a founding member but he is what made the band a 4 piece and his arrival (right around the release of Crime) is when the band really started Being Pretty Serious and like The Truest Lineup of the band to Laura. And so like he has stayed with the band for over 20 years through 8 entire members coming and going over the years. So like, Laura does not see the point in keeping the band name if the last remaining core member dips, at that point the band is just Not The Band Anymore in her eyes. So we just kinda wait for if/when James comes back. Like his pedal business is going super great for him, he's probably going to be Frank's tech for the Dunes summer tour since he posted from the rehearsal yesterday, and most of all there's always behind the scenes stuff exists that We Don't Know, so who knows what the future holds! Laura is keeping the faith that thing will be back eventually.