Beach Slang drummer JP Flexner has announced his departure from the band. In a new Facebook post on his personal page (via Spin), the founding member of the group said he was parting ways with the rest of the band, which will allow him to “focus [his] attention in the Design & Illustration career I built before I started Beach Slang.” He also mentions that he’s on the lookout for future music projects: “I’m the best at drumming I’ve ever been and I don’t want it to go to waste. Plus, I can’t imagine not still beating the heck out of my drums.”

Last spring, Beach Slang seemed on the precipice of breaking up after a very public implosion during a show in Salt Lake City, but frontman James Alex quickly reassured fans that was not the case. In a post to the band’s official Facebook page today, he offered the following words: “JP, the absolute best to you, my man. I’ll miss the dumb jokes and the loud thunder. I’ll miss how things were when things were really right. Thanks for the sweat and love. Go slay everything.”

Read Flexner’s full farewell post below.

OK sooooooo I was not planning on posting something like this on social media, but since so many friends, bands, acquaintances and family members, etc, have been asking – I’ve decided that a public post about this is necessary.

I am no longer in Beach Slang.

I sincerely wish James, Ed and Ruben and the rest of team ‘Slang nothing but the absolute very best; Dave Downham (Engineer, Producer), Spencer, Dan (former live members), Randy, Eric, Brooks (managers), Justin and Ed (US/Euro booking agents) Matt and Seth and all the folks at Polyvinyl, Dana (Publicist, crowd surfer), Richard (lawyer) all of the Tour Managers we’ve worked with in the last two years, especially my buddy Jon – THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH. Really – it was nothing short of a life-changing and pleasurable experience to work with you. And not to sound cliche, but all the incredibly sweet people whom I met at shows and the fellow musicians I had the honor of playing those shows with on the many tours and festivals along the way. You all are the greatest thing to come of an already awesome experience. Please, don’t be strangers. SERIOUSLY. I won’t be! And of course it could go without saying but it shouldn’t – all of my friends, family members and clients (current and former) who put up with the crazy schedule changes, last minute let-downs, time-difference-dependent phone calls, missed birthdays, anniversaries, deadlines and other weirdness – I LOVE YOU. Your being so supportive made the last few years even possible.

When ‘Slang started to take off, I would tell myself (and anyone who would listen) that I’d would always be happy to play and tour endlessly as long as it was fun – and no matter how that comes to an end, I would just be glad to have had the opportunity to experience all of that in the first place. I can very sincerely say to you today – that is in fact the case. It feels surreal and beautiful to look back over that time and reminisce about the people, places and experiences that I was afforded just from starting a punk band.

So to that point – It feels damn good to once again focus my attention on the Design & Illustration career I built before I started Beach Slang. If you or someone you know has a design project that is in need of a pair of hands, look this way.

Plus, I actually have some free time now! So let’s start a band! Nothing serious… (of course this was said at the start of BS too haha) – or maybe you know of an already established band who could use a new drummer? Even if it is just a temporary fill in… IT COULD BE ME! I’m the best at drumming I’ve ever been and I don’t want it to go to waste. Plus, I can’t imagine not still beating the heck out of my drums.

Art and music aside, maybe we could go play some baseball or join a bowling league (I’m not very good at bowling). Let’s go get a few drinks. Let’s visit my lovely parents in Maryland and eat stuff with Old Bay. We can take a nice jog through a cool city we haven’t been to before. We could go see a movie or go for a really long bike ride. Lets go hike in some woods and get really stoned or lay out on a beach and not worry about what time we have have to be somewhere. Maybe we could just get together and play Green Day songs in your basement. I could fly to visit you in far away lands or attend your cat’s birthday party (Hi Lilly!). Point is, I’m not going away or disappearing and I’m up for literally anything.

If you have any questions or have something to say, send me a message, txt or email (just jpflexner at gmail).

(TLDR; I’m no longer in Beach Slang. Thank you for being a part of something that meant a lot to me. Now let’s hang out and do stuff.)

Thanks for reading. See you soon!
Love, JP

Beach Slang’s next show is at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on 7/12, where they’ll play the Replacements’ 1987 album Pleased To Meet Me in full. They’ll presumably have a new drummer for that one.