Brandon Fried, drummer for The Neighborhood, was fired on Sunday, November 13, after vocalist Mara Zardoya accused him of s**ual assault. After Zardoya called him out on Instagram, Brandon Fried corroborated the charges and acknowledged the conduct.
Zardoya, the singer for the pop band The Marias, described the encounter in an Instagram story on Sunday, calling it “one of the most unpleasant experiences to date.” According to the narrative, the event happened in a pub, when the drummer touched her without her permission in an “invasion of space, privacy, and body.”
She stated:
“I was at a pub last night when Brandon Fried touched me beneath the table. It was one of the most unsettling experiences I’ve ever had. I felt a violation of my personal space, privacy, and body.”
In the piece, she tagged The Neighbourhood and added:
“You guys need a new drummer; this man is a total creep.”
After the charges were made, the rock band issued a statement in response to Zardoya, revealing that Brandon Fried had been sacked.
The Neighbourhood have booted its drummer Brandon Fried after The Marías singer María Zardoya alleged he groped her at a bar. https://t.co/dZ4GdXv9Ag
— billboard (@billboard) November 14, 2022
Brandon Fried is looking for treatment for his alcohol and drug misuse issues.
The lead singer of The Marias, which consists of Maria Zardoya and Josh Conway on drums, blogged about the event on their band’s Instagram page on Sunday. The Neighbourhood, comprised of (former) drummer Brandon Fried, guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels, bassist Mikey Margot, and singer Jesse Rutherford, issued a statement on Twitter shortly after Zardoya’s tweet went viral.
They thanked the artist for coming out and said that they have zero tolerance for any form of abusive conduct against women. The band also stated:
“Brandon will no longer be a member of The Neighbourhood as a consequence of his behavior.”
The drummer also apologized on Instagram Stories, apologizing to Zardoya, The Neighbourhood, and their followers. He said that he was “terribly sorry” for his unwelcome approaches to Zardoya and apologized to any women who have been victims of any conduct that has made them feel uncomfortable or violated. Brandon added that his actions with The Marias vocalist were unforgivable and intolerable and that although they did not represent him as a person, they did reflect the person he became when under the influence.
He went on to say that he has begun to get therapy for his alcohol and drug misuse issues. He closed by apologizing to his bandmates and supporters for disappointing them. Brandon Fried has been the band’s drummer since 2014 when he took over the position. The Neighbourhood has not yet provided an update on his replacement.
The most recent song from The Neighbourhood was the stand-alone track “Fallen Star,” which was released last year. Prior to this, in September 2020, the band, who established in 2011, released their fourth studio album, ‘Chip Chrome & The Mono-Tones.’ The band has recently received considerable media attention as a result of lead vocalist Jesse Rutherford’s budding relationship with Billie Eilish.
