Last week, Canadian musician Alex Calder was dropped from Captured Tracks a week before his new album was scheduled to come out because of a sexual assault allegation. Today, Calder has released a statement acknowledging that he assaulted someone in 2008. “In the last year, I have come to understand the sexual encounter I had with this person was non consensual and constituted assault,” he writes. “At the time, I had thought that my actions were consensual and now understand that this was not the case. This encounter did not meet the criteria for getting consent. I abused this person, and I have not held myself accountable for this.”

Calder notes that all of his upcoming shows have been cancelled and that the release of his album has been halted indefinitely. “I have taken a step back from any creative pursuits to start putting my energy into seeking counseling and attending consent training,” he writes.

“Being ignorant of consent is no excuse, and I would like to thank the people in my community and elsewhere for providing resources about this,” he writes. “This is necessary and overdue. I want others facing similar experiences to understand the importance of holding themselves accountable for their actions and begin educating themselves.”

Read his full statement below.

I would like to preface this statement by being transparent about what my priorities are in addressing a recent sexual assault allegation against me:
1) reducing harm to the person that I assaulted by being publicly accountable, and 2) using the public nature of this statement to open important conversation about sexual consent. In that order. The intention of this statement is no way to gain sympathy or forgiveness.

I would like to address an incident that occurred in 2008 between an individual and myself, who will remain anonymous for their own safety and comfort. In the last year, I have come to understand the sexual encounter I had with this person was non consensual and constituted assault. At the time, I had thought that my actions were consensual and now understand that this was not the case. This encounter did not meet the criteria for getting consent. I abused this person, and I have not held myself accountable for this.

I want to further express how completely sorry I am to this person for any shame, humiliation, or social isolation that they have experienced following my actions.
In part, I have been shielded and protected from accountability or consequence by a community and a culture, that has prioritized my narrative over hers for years.
I am learning how my actions and negligence have traumatized this person and I would like to express how deeply, deeply sorry I am to them once again.
I hope that being publicly accountable will relieve the survivor of some of the trauma they have faced due to my actions. I would like to take any and all steps necessary to help facilitate their recovery process and needs for moving forward. Several weeks ago, I made the choice to cancel all of my upcoming shows and agreed with my label to halt my album release. I have taken a step back from any creative pursuits to start putting my energy into seeking counseling and attending consent training.

Being ignorant of consent is no excuse, and I would like to thank the people in my community and elsewhere for providing resources about this.

This is necessary and overdue. I want others facing similar experiences to understand the importance of holding themselves accountable for their actions and begin educating themselves. Most importantly, I hope the person that I hurt can begin to heal and that we can collectively start believing survivors and addressing similar accusations very seriously.