September 4, 2000 12:07

THE TRUTH HURTS

The band call it a day after [b]Thom Yorke[/b]'s brother [b]Andy[/b] quits to pursue other interests...

Unbelievable Truth are to call it a day, with frontman ANDY YORKE quitting after seven years to pursue other interests outside of music.

The band made the announcement on their website www.unbelievable-truth.com, confirming mounting speculation that they were to split.

In his statement, Andy said he was leaving "to pursue other things in my life which fascinate me, namely work involving Russia and Eastern Europe". He had been studying in Russia prior to starting the band.

Their farewell gig at their local venue, Oxford Zodiac, on September 16 is to be recorded, and there are also plans to posthumously release b-sides from the singles 'Agony' and 'Landslide', as well as previously-unreleased material by the band. More Unbelievable Truth tracks will be available for download on their site, which is to continue for some time to come.

The band formed in 1993, and released their first single, 'Building' on Oxford label Shifty Disco in February 1997. They have released two albums, 'Almost Here' and 'sorrythankyou', which came out earlier this year.

It is not yet clear what Jim Crosskey, Nigel Powell and Jason Moulster will do, but the latter two are thought to be continuing in music. In his statement, Nigel apologised to people for covering up about the band's future when asked recently, saying he didn't want to discuss it until a formal announcement had been made. 'Advice To A Lover', the third single to be taken from 'sorrythankyou', will be released on October 2. It features two previously unheard b-sides: 'Some Of These People' and 'Whose Side Are You On?'.

Tickets for the Zodiac show are available from the venue box office (01865 420042) or www.oxfordmusic.net.