00s rock band Brand New have announced a reunion tour, eight years after the lead singer was accused of sexual misconduct with minors.
In 2017, Jesse Lacey was accused of soliciting nudes from two women who were 15 and 16 while he was in his 20s.
He was also said to have masturbated while on video calls, harassed the then-teenagers for more pictures, and attempted to manipulate them into sharing explicit content.
Days after one accuser shared her story on Facebook, the singer took to the social media platform to admit to and apologise for ‘the actions of [his] past.’
Neither woman took Lacey to court, and while his statement did not address their ages, he said he was ‘absolutely sorry’ for ‘the hurt [he] caused.’
The allegations caused Brand New to cancel their UK tour, which was a comeback tour for the album Science Fiction after an eight-year hiatus.
Fans took to X to object to the reunion, with Benyamin_Parker writing: ‘I had a friend say they wish they could cut their Brand New tattoo off and throw it at that f**ker because of the terrible things he’s done.
‘Nostalgia is a hell of a feeling but it’s not worth giving a predator the same platform they used to harm in the first place. This is wrong.’
Karlthomassmith added: ‘Brand New had a generational three-album run (if you don’t count daisy) and Jesse Lacey deserves his comeback (if you’re okay with unapologetically grooming kids).’
Jlinitz said: ‘Brand New was my favorite band, but after the Jesse Lacey allegations the music itself didn’t have the same impact. It was a sobering experience, but it also was an opportunity to broaden my horizons. There is SO much incredible music out there—it’s ok move on from your HS self.’
One of the accusers was Nicole Elizabeth Garey, who told Pitchfork that she met Lacey in 2003 while photographing a Brand New gig.
He approached the 15-year-old photographer afterwards and quickly began asking for nudes, which she obliged.
She alleged to the publication that he continually asked her for more images, telling her that he had to delete them as he ‘can’t keep them on [his] computer.
Garey told Pitchfork in 2017: ‘You’re flattered because [the singer of] one of your favorite bands is interested in you and nobody’s taken interest in you before. I didn’t really see it for what it was because when you’re a teenager you think, “I know everything, I’m an adult.”’
Second accuser, Emily Driskill, shared a similar experience and met Lacey when she was 16, during which he commented on her body and looks.
‘He was the first person to ever tell me that I was hot. In hindsight, as an adult woman, I know I was preyed on,’ she said.
When she reached 17, the age of consent in the UK, she claimed he started asking for nude images as well as video calls of a sexual nature.
This included allegedly ‘attempting to manipulate [her] into engaging in sexual situations with other people, on camera, for his viewing pleasure.’
Driskill said that he would restrict her access to the band, who she worked with as a photographer, if she refused to participate in his demands.
At one gig, she claims Lacey took her to the green room under the pretense of retrieving his things but quickly closed the door behind them and ‘pinned her against the wall’.
This was one of ‘several instances of coercion during physically intimate situations’ that Driskill accused Lacey of.
In his apology after the accusations were made public, Lacey said he was sorry and ‘hoped to be able to take the correct actions to earn forgiveness and trust’.
The lengthy message also included confessions that he was a sex addict and ‘habitual cheater’, including cheating on his wife.
He continued: ‘I am sorry for how I have hurt people, mistreated them, lied, and cheated. I am sorry for ignoring the way in which my position, status, and power as a member of a band affected the way people viewed me or their approach to their interactions with me.
‘And I am sorry for how often I have not afforded women the respect, support, or honesty that they deserved, and which is their right. I believe in the equality and autonomy of all, but in my life, I have been more of a detriment to these ideals than an advocate.’
The band went on an indefinite hiatus after this message, however, Lacey recently returned with a series of small solo gigs, including one for the LA wildfire relief.
Brand New will play three shows in Nashville, Texas, and Kentucky later this month, with fans able to register for tickets through their website.
Metro has reached out to Brand New’s reps for comment.
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