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Deftones bassist Sergio Vega confirms departure from band after 10 years: “It was clear there was no opportunity for growth for me”

Rumours of his departure began after a four-member photo was added to the band’s Spotify page.

Sergio Vega of Deftones

Image: Michael Jamison / Alamy Stock Photo

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Deftones bassist Sergio Vega confirms that he has parted ways with the band.

In a video posted to his Instagram account, Vega explained his decision to leave the group he has played with for over 10 years.

The 51-year-old musician told fans that he felt the need to “clear the air” after the band posted a new photo on Spotify that did not include him.

Vega recalled his beginnings with the band following bassist Chi Cheng’s car crash in 2008 and said, “I was also told that similarly to Frank [Delgado, Deftones keyboardist] I will be brought in over time to become an official member. I had worked with the band for 12 years, and at the start of every album cycle, I asked about becoming an official member, but the contract would be improved instead.”

Vega added that “COVID was a breaking point for a lot of people,” and that he started questioning his place in the band and the future he wanted for his career.

“I really started to need something stable, because at that point, my contract with them was cancelled. One day I got a call from the guys about an internal band situation, and they asked me if I was solid, and that I would have to fly out to LA to help work it out. Right away, I said, ‘Of course’, I was all in, and we can handle my situation later. But I can’t go back to my old contract.”

“Our respective management had a conversation to discuss a new contract, and they offered me the same deal. At that point, it was clear there was no opportunity for growth for me. So I declined the offer,” he said. “And then I call the guys immediately to see where the miscommunication was to resolve it. But there was no response.”

“A couple of days later, I received an e-mail from their lawyer that their offer was withdrawn, and that they wished me the best. So I left the band early last year, and since then I’ve been focused on my band Quicksand, as well as working as a producer and writer for other artists and projects.”

“Out of respect for the people who have held tickets for this tour, the past couple of years and everyone who supports the band, I felt it important to bring some clarity to the situation.”

Lastly, Vega also thanked the band’s “amazing fan base” and his former bandmates, Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham and Frank Delgado.

“I want you to know that I appreciate all the years we spent together: writing, performing, being taken into your worlds,” he said. “I learned a lot from each one of you, when you brought me in, you created a new sense of passion for music that I will always cherish and carry with me. You truly changed my life.”

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