Winding up a rock band is never easy, but for members of Sum 41, the experience has been an odd mixture of confusion, camaraderie and ultimately acceptance.

It started two years ago with a surprise email from the band香蕉视频直播檚 leader Deryck Whibley, who香蕉视频直播檚 also their main songwriter. He told them, that after many years of anxious contemplation, he had finally decided to pull the plug on the band.

香蕉视频直播淚 was shocked,香蕉视频直播� recalled bassist Jason McCaslin. 香蕉视频直播淐ompletely shocked.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚n my mind, I guess I thought we香蕉视频直播檇 never end.香蕉视频直播�

Sitting alongside guitarist Dave Baksh in a Toronto record label office, the two musicians are reflecting on life without Whibley in their immediate orbit and how within a blink everything is about to end.

Sum 41 plays one final concert at Toronto香蕉视频直播檚 Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. Then in March, they香蕉视频直播檒l be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the Juno Awards, a recognition of the Ajax, Ont. band香蕉视频直播檚 enduring impact with hits that include 香蕉视频直播淔at Lip,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淪till Waiting香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淚n Too Deep.香蕉视频直播�

After that, Sum 41 will cease to exist.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 the complete worst; it香蕉视频直播檚 the complete best. It香蕉视频直播檚 everything in between,香蕉视频直播� said Baksh of playing the last shows. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a feeling I don香蕉视频直播檛 think I香蕉视频直播檝e ever had. So I have no descriptive for it.香蕉视频直播�

Missing from this discussion is Whibley who, unlike the band香蕉视频直播檚 other two Ontario-based members, lives in Las Vegas and was unable to make it back to Canada for a run of press interviews in early January.

That left his two lifelong friends to pose for photos without their familiar frontman, an absence that casts an unintentional weight over the proceedings. In some ways, it feels as if Sum 41 has already closed the book even before their curtain call.

It香蕉视频直播檚 taken a lot of emotional effort to get to a point where, as Baksh puts it, they香蕉视频直播檝e come through the five stages of grief to arrive at acceptance. They recognize now that Whibley had to end Sum 41 for himself. There was no other option after his message landed.

香蕉视频直播淚t was this very nicely worded email that explained his position,香蕉视频直播� Baksh said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou immediately go into a mode where it香蕉视频直播檚 like, 香蕉视频直播極K, this person needs it. What can we do to help this happen?香蕉视频直播�

Despite the odds, Sum 41 lasted longer than many critics expected.

Whibley and his band mates burned bright and loud during the pop-punk heyday of the early aughts. They partied hard, rebelled against whatever stood in their way, and established themselves as one of the bratty forces of teen angst for a generation.

In his 20s, Whibley became tabloid fodder. He married and divorced Canadian pop princess Avril Lavigne, had a fling with Paris Hilton and was caught in many an unflattering photo by the paparazzi outside trendy Los Angeles clubs.

It all came crashing down in 2014 when alcoholism sent Whibley over the edge. He was hospitalized in a coma with severe damage to his liver and kidneys that nearly killed him.

In the years that followed, he underwent a major life reset that saw him pursue sobriety and settle down. But as he describes it, not everything changed.

Outside his control, the music industry machine continued to whir, and with it came heavy expectations.

Sum 41 would spend the better part of each year on tour, after which Whibley would hunker down in the studio for six or eight months to write a new album. Once it was finished, he香蕉视频直播檇 be spit back onto the touring circuit to promote it.

While that repetition had always been part of his lifestyle, he found it harder to enjoy in the years after his recovery. Internal voices of discontent became increasingly louder and so he buried them as best he could in his work.

香蕉视频直播淚 would crush (them) and say, 香蕉视频直播楽top thinking like that. This is what you do. You love being in Sum 41香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� which I do,香蕉视频直播� the 44-year-old explained over a video call from a hotel room in Winnipeg while on tour.

香蕉视频直播淏ut I couldn香蕉视频直播檛 help but think this is all I香蕉视频直播檝e ever done.香蕉视频直播�

Whibley said his emotions came to a head near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as he grappled with signs of burnout. The sudden pause of concerts allowed him to contemplate his priorities as he welcomed a baby boy, the first with his wife.

Once the industry got back into motion he was on the road again.

It wasn香蕉视频直播檛 until Whibley put the finishing touches on Sum 41香蕉视频直播檚 ambitious double album 香蕉视频直播淗eaven :x: Hell香蕉视频直播� that he started to see everything clearer. The project captured both the pop-punk and heavy metal sounds that defined his band香蕉视频直播檚 evolution, and he was satisfied with how it turned out.

香蕉视频直播淲hat else would I do after this?香蕉视频直播� he remembers thinking. 香蕉视频直播淚t encapsulates Sum 41 perfectly 香蕉视频直播� and that香蕉视频直播檚 when it hit me, I think I香蕉视频直播檓 ready for something different.香蕉视频直播�

At least six months passed before Whibley finally shared his decision with the band in early 2023. It arrived to them in an email that he says he titled 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 Afraid It香蕉视频直播檚 Come to This.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 not as excited about it as I once was,香蕉视频直播� he summarized. 香蕉视频直播淎nd I don香蕉视频直播檛 want to do it just because it香蕉视频直播檚 a great paycheque.香蕉视频直播�

Whibley, who香蕉视频直播檚 now father to a daughter as well, asked his band mates to digest his message and not act on their immediate emotions. He suggested they each hop on a phone call after the news settled in.

香蕉视频直播淚 know the guys so well, I know how we operate, and I know how I would want something like that to be delivered to me,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 wanted to give everybody the respect, time and the space to absorb it.香蕉视频直播�

Whibley eventually made those promised phone calls, which his band mates say helped smooth over their raw emotions and consider Whibley香蕉视频直播檚 experience.

香蕉视频直播淭o put it in perspective 香蕉视频直播� he hadn香蕉视频直播檛 ever taken time off for himself,香蕉视频直播� Baksh said. 香蕉视频直播淥ne day he told me, 香蕉视频直播業香蕉视频直播檝e never been on vacation.香蕉视频直播� I was like, you should do that.香蕉视频直播�

Of course, Whibley香蕉视频直播檚 decision didn香蕉视频直播檛 just affect the band 香蕉视频直播� it sent ripples through every corner of their business, which kicked into high gear.

Sum 41 immediately hopped on a tour with the Offspring, released their final album in early 2024 and then kicked off their massive Tour of the Setting Sum farewell run, which has been going ever since.

Last year, Whibley released an explosive memoir that chronicled his tumultuous experiences as a scrappy young rock star, including allegations of misconduct against the band香蕉视频直播檚 former manager, which he has denied. The two have escalated the dispute to a potential courtroom showdown.

All of the renewed attention on Sum 41香蕉视频直播檚 final shows has left most of the band a little shell-shocked, yet Whibley sounds as if he couldn香蕉视频直播檛 be happier about seeing the finish line.

香蕉视频直播淚t doesn香蕉视频直播檛 really feel sad or scary,香蕉视频直播� he says. 香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 feel anxious.香蕉视频直播�

Instead, he is looking forward to a simpler life. He said he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 have any big plans, for now.

香蕉视频直播淚 wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 mind just being at home for a while. That sounds like vacation to me,香蕉视频直播� he added.

香蕉视频直播淛ust, like, waking up in my own bed.香蕉视频直播�