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The Band CAMINO ‘Parts Ways’ With Bassist Graham Rowell
CONTENT WARNING: The following article references allegations of sexual misconduct. If you or someone you know is having a hard time, resources are always available to you at thehotline.org or at 1-800-799-7233.
UPDATE: According to the band, Rowell’s departure was immediate upon privately hearing of the allegations. It was only after the band posted that word of these allegations spread.
The Band CAMINO have ousted their bassist, Graham Rowell, after learning of sexual misconduct allegations against him. The band announced the removal on social media on April 9, writing, “The Band CAMINO has decided to part ways with Graham Rowell due to personal reasons. Stay safe and take care of each other, we’ll be back soon.”
— The Band CAMINO (@thebandcamino) April 9, 2020
While comments were disabled on the band’s Instagram post, fans flooded the comments on Facebook and the replies on Twitter. Many took the opportunity to share similar experiences they had with Rowell and the band. Though these replies are public messages, downinthepit will not name these fans or embed their tweets.
A top reply on Twitter comes from a fan who says she brought this behavior to the band’s attention privately. She says the band removed their bassist a mere 16 hours after learning of the accusations.
“For everyone wondering why – everyone should know that he was using his position of power to exploit fans for sexual gain via dms/texts/pictures & he deserves no sympathy. I reached out to the band to bring this to their attention, and they had NO idea. When I came to them, they made the decision to kick him out immediately and took the proper actions as switly as possible. He was kicked out within 16 hours of them finding out,” the fan writes.
Another fan met the band in September of 2019, noting that her relationship with Rowell took on an unwanted sexual tone in less than a month. She says that Rowell sent her nude photos and videos of him masturbating in the band’s tour bus “after every single show without fail.”
“He would continually compliment me, talk about personal stories, and claimed we were ‘friends,’ the fan writes, “he continually tried to pressured (sic) me to send him revealing snaps to which I continually declined.”
Many more fans have come forward to address the issue, share their stories, and express solidarity for those with similar experiences.
“I had no idea more people were affected by this. This has been weighing on me for years,” a third fan wrote.
After the band’s announcement, Rowell made his social media accounts private. On April 10, he took to Twitter to deliver a Notes app apology, his account made public once again.
“First off, there is nothing I can put into words to explain how sorry I am for my actions. But I will try,” he says, “To those I have hurt, I am sorry. You are valid, you matter, and the way I have treated you will not define you. I fully accept all blame that is deserved for what I have done. I am truly sorry. I never wanted to hurt anyone. I am currently in therapy for issues that led to my mistakes, as well as handling the fallout I have caused. Please respect my privacy while I work thru this and attempt to come out of this a better man.”
— GRAHAM ROWELL (@grahamrowell) April 10, 2020
Discover: The Band that is The Band CAMINO
The Band CAMINO have not yet shared any plans about replacing Rowell.
