Head For The Hills Mandolin Player Leaves Band

Article Contributed by Kevin Adams | Published on Thursday, July 23, 2015

Head For The Hills announce founding member, Michael Chappell (mandolin) will be say good bye to the band. Mike's final shows with Head for the Hills will be at WildFest in Old Snowmass, CO and YarmonyGrass in Bond, CO. Sam Parks (Bluegrass Delta Force) will be joining H4TH on the first leg of their fall tour, beginning in September.

The Band announced Michael’s departure to fans on Facebook at 2pm on Thursday, July 23:

Message From Head For The Hills:

“It is the beginning of a new chapter for Head for the Hills as we announce that we will soon bid farewell to one of our founding members and our dear friend, Mike Chappell. Saying goodbye to Mike as a band member is like parting ways with a member of our own family, one who has been with us every step of the way. We would like to thank you Mike for more than a decade of music and amazing memories. It has been a real privilege. We wish you and your family, Lauren and baby Harper, the absolute best in all you do together in life. We love you guys. Mike's final shows with Head for the Hills will be at WildFest in Old Snowmass, CO and YarmonyGrass in Bond, CO.

Moving forward, it is shaping up to be a huge fall for Head for the Hills as we go full throttle ahead with new music, a full fall touring schedule, and more shows to be announced. We are very excited to announce that mandolin player Sam Parks will be joining us on the first leg of our fall tour, beginning in September. Thanks to our incredible fans, friends, and family for your support! Onwards and upwards...”

-Head for the Hills
______________________

A message from Mike:

“For one third of my life on this planet I have played mandolin in Head for the Hills. The experiences that I have shared with Matt, Adam, Joe and on many occasions, James, are irreplaceable and will forever be some of the absolute best years of my life. The way the four of us came together is extremely serendipitous. This band has shaped me into the person I am today and will continue to influence the person I will become. I am thankful for every second that I have had the pleasure to grace the stage with these incredible people.

Over the last couple of years I have had a plethora of major life changes that have affected the amount of time I can devote to Head for the Hills. In the past year I have had a career opportunity that will greatly decrease the dedication that I can give to the band. It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to step away from Head for the Hills. I make this decision with the best intentions for the band and their future growth.

I want to give a huge thank you to the fans, friends and family that have supported Head for the Hills over the years. I have had an extremely fulfilling career in music and that is because of you. THANK YOU!

I want to close by sincerely thanking Matt, Adam, Joe and Sean for their unconditional love, support and understanding through this process. We are a family and we will always be a family. This has been one of the most difficult life decisions I have ever had to make but you have been there for me, like the brothers you are. I love you guys so much. I look forward to watching all of your future accomplishments and growth. I am so proud to have been a part of this and I cannot wait to see where this band goes next.

I love you guys for life.