As Sum 41 wraps up their nearly three-decade-long journey, guitarist Dave Baksh revealed in an interview with 102.1 The Edge that fans have surprisingly supported the band’s decision to call it quits.
“It’s crazy. It’s like probably 70-30 in favor of us calling it quits,” Baksh said when asked if they’d received offers to reconsider. “A lot of people are like, ‘Here’s money to stop.’”
Bassist Jason ‘Cone’ McCaslin chimed in, adding, “It is weird. I heard Deryck [Whibley] mention a couple of weeks ago that we’ve had offers to do festivals this summer. I was like, ‘Wait, the band’s ending.’”
McCaslin even joked about reconsidering, saying, “Maybe we should think about it.” Baksh laughed and quipped, “Cone, I don’t know how to tell you this—the four of us are doing festivals.”
Sum 41 played their final show on January 30 at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, marking the end of their farewell Tour of the Setting Sum, according to NME. Their grand finale featured a massive 29-song setlist, complete with tributes to metal legends Slayer (Raining Blood) and Metallica (Master of Puppets).
The band, who announced their breakup in late 2023, reflected on their journey in a heartfelt statement:
“Being in Sum 41 since 1996 brought us some of the best moments of our lives. We are forever grateful to our fans, both old and new, who have supported us. It’s hard to articulate the love and respect we have for all of you, and we wanted you to hear this from us first.”
They continued, “Sum 41 will be disbanding. We’ll finish all of our tour dates this year, and we’re excited to release our final album Heaven :x: Hell, along with a farewell world tour to celebrate. Details will be announced soon.”
The band concluded with gratitude, saying, “For now, we look forward to seeing all of you on the road and are excited about what the future holds for each of us. Thank you for the last 27 years of Sum 41.”
Sum 41’s farewell has left an impact on fellow musicians as well. Noodles from The Offspring shared his sadness with Heavy Consequence, praising the band’s energy and music. After meeting them at Riot Fest 2024, he expressed hope that a reunion might happen someday, though for now, the sun has set on Sum 41’s remarkable run.
