Last month, drummer Miri Tyler announced that she's leaving Ekko Astral, citing her own mental health as well as her other projects. At the time, the parting seemed amicable, and the band said that Tyler's last time playing with the band would be at the upcoming second edition of Liberation Weekend, their trans-rights music festival in their Washington, DC hometown. But now, Ekko Astral leader Jael Holzman has reportedly filed a peace order protection against Tyler, accusing Tyler of threatening her on social media.
The Washington City Paper reports that both Holzman and Tyler were in court together when Holzman and her lawyer filed the petition last week in Montgomery County, Maryland. Tyler, who denies making threats, did not have a lawyer with her, and she ultimately consented to the order rather than contesting it. Because she consented, she has the right to remove the petition from her record after it expires. She's barred from contacting Holzman for the next six months. Any violation could result in jail time, a $1,000 fine, or both.
Just before announcing her departure from Ekko Astral, Miri Tyler spent 12 days in jail on charges of property destruction and resisting arrest, for an incident that was reportedly unrelated to the band. According to the City Paper, Holzman filed her petition after Tyler posted a TikTok in which she recites a poem that she wrote in jail:
Ever since I been set free, I’m gunnin’ for my enemy. She wants so bad to be like me, the bass, the bangs, the cause, the jeans
If she could practice empathy, identify by her core beliefs, then maybe she could remedy those glaring insecurities
But I’m done mother fucker, I’m done
Playing shows around the country
Supposed to be fun
I was supposed to get paid, but I ended up with none
You may think this is a game, but I got myself a —
In court, Holzman argued that the poem was a "clear reference" to her. In a follow-up video, Tyler reportedly said, "I would like you to know, unequivocally, that I have not, do not, and will not ever have plans to cause bodily harm to any human being." Tyler's social media accounts are now set to private.
In her petition, Holzman said, "I do not want to see Miri Tyler go to jail and do not think that is a remedy here. But I need her to stay far, far away from me and leave me alone, so we can both move on and she can find the help she clearly needs." She tells the City Paper that she filed the petition with the understanding that Tyler could seal it after six months.
Tyler's other band Pretty Bitter is currently slated to play the Liberation Weekend fest. But the festival falls within the six-month window of that petition, so Tyler might be legally barred from playing. Ekko Astral announced their new album the beltway is burning last week. You can read the City Paper story here.
