Marty Casey, former contestant on the hit CBS TV show Rock Star: INXS, and now new vocalist of Tracii Guns' L.A. GUNS has issued the following statement:

"I wanted to reach out to everyone and let you know of some equally amazing and difficult changes going on in my life at the present moment. With sincere thought and sleepless nights, I have made the decision to change my current musical direction. I am still deeply committed to the creation and performance of music but have decided to take on a new opportunity. This scenario appeared very quickly and I only had a few days to make the decision. I chose what I felt was right for my life.

I have been working in Los Angeles and Toronto as a songwriter for the new L.A. Guns album, and as we were working on the album, the former singer of the band made some extremely bad decisions and left the band as a result. The band was in the studio in Canada with their producer, Steve Thompson, and all set to record the songs we had written together. On top of the month of recording that needed to be completed, their world tour was confirmed to begin at the end of June.

They offered me the opportunity to step in and be the new voice of L.A. Guns. I thought about the opportunity and the possibilities it opened up for me. I loved the songs I had written with the band and felt it was time for me to embrace this new direction. I was excited at the opportunity to record this album and then join the Summer Blackout Tour which will take me all over the world over the next year. I chose to dive into the creativity and momentum. It was a tough decision because The Lovehammers have always been very good friends and musical brothers. It was incredibly hard to talk to them and let them know of my new musical direction. My intent was not to hurt anyone. My intent is to continue passionately in creating and performing music. I have felt stuck for some time, and when this scenario presented itself, it felt like the clouds opening up and showing me a bright light of possibility. I am excited to record this album that I have so passionately been writing and then set-off on tour for the next year. It feels like the right place for me.

I hope you embrace my change in direction and I hope you understand. I am working incredibly hard recording the album and want to affect people with intense live performances. A place has opened up for me, and I am committed to making this a success. I also hope there will be future Lovehammers shows because Bob, Dino and Billy are a big part of my life.

I hope to see you all soon and all the best to you,

Marty Casey"

As previously reported, L.A. Guns is currently signed to Alexus Records. Look for them on tour this summer with FASTER PUSSYCAT and BANG TANGO. Confirmed dates are listed below:

June

27 - Green Bay, WI - Club Toxic
28 - Sault Sainte Marie, ON - Runway Park

July

3 - San Juan, Puerto Rico - Hard Rock Live
5 - Sarasota, FL - Muscle Fairgrounds
10 - Pryor, OK - Rocklahoma
11 - Dallas, TX - Firewater Outdoors
12 - Boerne, TX - South Texas Rock Fest.
13 - Houston, TX - Meridian
14 - Texarkana, AR - Shooters Sports Bar
17 - Raleigh, NC - Volume 11
18 - Johnson City, TN - Nashville Station
19 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
23 - Schaumburg, IL - Chicago City Limits
24 - Green Bay, WI - Club Toxic
25 - St. Paul, MN - Station 4
26 - Sioux Falls, SD - Dakota Rock Fest
30 - Southbridge, MA - ADC Performance Center
31 - Farmingdale, NY - Crazy Donkey

August

1 - Yonkers, NY - The Haunt
2 - Factoryville, PA - Trailside Inn
7 - Springfield, MA - Stearns Square
8 - Toronto, ON - Rock And Roll Heaven
15 - Aurora, CO - Iliff Park Saloon
16 - Acoma, NM - Sky City Casino
17 - Salt Lake City, UT - Bar Deluxe
18 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
19 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
20 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
21 - Redding, CA - Redding Convention Center
22 - Hermosa Beach, CA - Saint Rocke
23 - Las Vegas, NV - Rock Against Diabetes
24 - Hollywood, CA - Key Club

September

10 - Lima, Peru - Av Petit Thouars
13 - Buenos Aries, Argentina - El Teatrito