A Look Into What My Chemical Romance Members Are Up To Since Their Split
Break ups are usually always messy - especially when you’re a gigantic rock band that has sold millions and millions of records during a twelve year career. For My Chemical Romance, their departure from the music scene still stings - but the members are trying to ease the pain as much as they can with some new music with their new projects.
My Chemical Romance, who disbanded in early 2013, scored two top ten albums and multiple top ten singles throughout their illustrious career. From their early days with 2004’s Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge all the way to 2010’s Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, My Chemical Romance has made their mark as one of the most influential rock bands in recent memory, and their breakup wasn’t taken lightly. “We’ve shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends. And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end. Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure,” the band said when breaking the news.
Though fans have been speculating a reunion and possible shows again, it’s not happening any time soon. "There was a moment when I was weighing up the options and it just didn't feel like the right time yet to play any My Chemical Romance songs,” frontman Gerard Way told NME in regards to his first solo show. Way signed a deal for a solo album, and his shows are going to be My Chemical Romance-free. So, what exactly will he be playing? His first release as a solo artist is a full-length entitled Hesitant Alien, so he’s got an entire album to play material off of. The record was produced by long time My Chemical Romance producer Doug McKean and the songs released so far stray away from the dark aspects of My Chem. Instead, they enter a newer, yet refreshing realm in Way’s career. His influences making it? Britpop. "So the main objective was to change the landscape of music a bit. To kind of re-boot Britpop in America, see how that goes,” he told Rolling Stone. According to the interview, Way has always loved Britpop, and Hesitant Alien is going to pay homage to music he listened to while growing up. After hearing the two tracks, ‘Action Cat,’ and ‘No Shows,’ his project definitely has our interest.
Next page: What are the other My Chemical Romance members up to?
Way isn’t the only former My Chem member to get into some other musical endeavors. Guitarist Frank Iero is also dabbling into new music - but instead of going solo, it’s an entirely new band under the name frnkiero andthe cellabration, and their debut album, Stomachaches, is released August 26. Honestly, the band name kind of gives us a stomach. But - the music itself is actually pretty damn good. Similarly to Way, Iero’s new act also leaves behind My Chem’s polished, anthemic tunes and turns into raw, fast, punk songs. The lead single ‘Weighted’ is easily one of the standouts. Believe it or not, Iero’s intentions weren’t even to create a record. “I wrote the songs and recorded them kinda just for myself, for my own sanity, trying to forget about the way I felt physically and when it came about time for me to look back I saw this collection of songs, was like, oh wow, this is kind of a record,” he told Radio. “It’s a very intimate, revealing record.”
More: Watch frnkiero andthe cellabration’s music video for ‘Weighted’
As far as the other members, bassist Mikey Way and guitarist Ray Toro, they’re doing things too. Toro has a solo album coming out eventually called Minimization Procedure, and Way has a new band called Electric Century; they released their single, ‘I Lied,’ this past February. If you think about it, My Chemical Romance’s break up isn't messy at all - it might just be the most efficient break up of all time. Instead of forcing a new album that may not have lived up to everyone’s expectations, they instead went their separate ways to release the music that meant something to them - and luckily for us, everything from the guys so far has sounded awesome. Perhaps some time for themselves is exactly what they need to get the itch to record as My Chemical Romance once again someday. When that day comes, we’ll be ready.