"Dear Friends,
It feels like yesterday that Rooney was on the road, performing, releasing music, and connecting with all of you. But, to my amazement, this Rooney hiatus has lasted for almost 4 years now and nearly 6 years since the last album release. As hard as it's been to take time away from Rooney, I'm happy to have had time to explore other music projects, a stylistic deviation in production, presentation, musician and songwriting collaborations, and even performing around the country inside a party bus. It's been a great learning experience to dabble in other projects and it’s something that I think is very important for anyone's creative endeavors.
With the aforementioned projects, I wanted to get back in touch with the innocence I felt in high school while writing the first Rooney album. Those were genuine exploratory years because I didn't know what I was doing/wanted out of music. I felt excited and motivated to write, perform, and let the music lead the way. I recently began writing and recording new songs that sounded undeniably like they were the beginning of something Rooney. It was through these latest recordings that I've felt like I was re-entering that Rooney skin that has shaped my life for so many years.
Things have come full circle in a sense. It's back to basics, back to relearning what Rooney is. Back to letting music happen and letting it lead the way. Back to redefining what it means to be a musician today and how to carry a project that has had so many years of an identity into the future. I believe change is a healthy and scary thing, but a necessary force nonetheless. Set in my ways, I’ve often times shied away from it and have been afraid to take chances creatively. It's easy to become dependent, complacent, and comfortable with the way things operate. I sometimes forget that change is something to look to for creative and personal growth.
I say all this because Rooney is changing and writing a new chapter in a new industry. I can't express to you enough how excited I am to run with this project. It's been my baby and your baby. We've all had a hand in Rooney's past successes. I will be rebooting Rooney in 2016 with a whole new lineup, building on a foundation of all the music and imagery that has shaped Rooney's identity thus far. I'm excited to bring an exploratory mindset that I've come to embrace over the hiatus into this project. I'm excited to work with other incredibly talented musicians and writers who will bring a fresh perspective to the sound of the band. I'm excited to get on the road and capture a moment with you, city by city, night after night, and play what's become an action-packed music catalogue. Most importantly, I'm excited to take chances and open Rooney up to the infinite possibilities that this boundless universe has to offer.
I love and respect what Rooney has achieved and all the people who have worked hard to get/keep the ship out at sea. Thank you for being supportive, enthusiastic, and sharing your positivity over the years. It's something that I do not for one second take for granted. I hope you will join me on this next voyage.
All the best,
Robert Schwartzman"
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