Coming off last year’s announcement that cult Savannah, Georgia-formed sludgesters Kylesa were hitting stages in 2025 for the first time in a decade, band founders and guitarists-vocalists’ Laura Pleasants and Philip Cope have announced they’ve now got a new rhythm section and a couple newly-announced U.S. dates.
The updated Kylesa lineup now includes drummer Roy Mayorga and bassist John John Jesse of New York City crust veterans Nausea. Mayorga is likewise a seasoned live-and-studio player who has sat in with the likes of Soulfly, Ministry, Stone Sour, Hellyeah and more.
Speaking with Decibel, Cope noted that he and Pleasants had put out the feelers for reuniting with their older bandmates, but their schedules did not align.
“[Drummer] Carl [McGinley] was our longest running bandmate for close to ten years, but we checked with him, and he doesn’t play drums anymore and has wished us his best,” Cope said. “We have nothing but respect for all the past members. With most everyone living in different cities now, we decided to reform our rhythm section in a way that makes sense with where we are currently at, and we feel this is a really strong lineup.”
Nabbing the Nausea members for the upcoming reunion shows was a full circle moment of sorts for Kylesa, with Pleasants noting she’d been shocked when four-stringer Jesse reached out about playing bass.
“I half-jokingly texted him back saying, ‘Sure! Just hit up Roy and we’ll be off to the races.’ The next day I got a phone call from Roy,” she said, adding, “I think it was Phillip who turned me on to Nausea in the first place when I was probably 18. We’re longtime fans and even covered a song of theirs back in the day.”
When asked if the current line-up would be writing new material, Cope noted that “it hasn’t been ruled out.” Kylesa’s last album was 2015’s Exhausting Fire.
As previously reported, Kylesa announced their reunion last summer, and revealed at the time that they would be hitting the Netherlands’ Roadburn Festival, which runs April 17-20. Since then, the band announced more spring dates across Europe, an appearance at Toronto, Canada’s Prepare the Ground festival in May, and just confirmed two shows for U.S. audiences this December.
First up, they play a December 4th homecoming show at Savannah, Georgia’s District Live, which features opening sets from Royal Thunder and The Maxines. Then, they hit New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge on December 6th, and they’ll be sharing the stage with screamo legends pageninetynine.
You’ll find all of Kylesa’s upcoming tour schedule here.