CONTENT WARNING: The following article discusses alleged rape and sexual misconduct.
Sigur Rós have parted ways with their longtime drummer Orri Páll Dýrason after sexual assault allegations were levelled against him.
Dýrason, who’s been sitting behind the kit with the band almost two decades, has been accused of raping a woman as she slept in 2013.
Alleged victim Meagan Boyd aired the accusations in an Instagram post last week, triggering the Icelandic avant-rockers to today accept Dýrason’s resignation.
“In the wake of the extremely serious and personal allegations made against him in recent days we have today accepted the resignation of our bandmate Orri Páll Dyrason to allow him to deal with this privately,” they write.
Boyd, who works as an artist under the name Yin Shadowz, allegedly met Dýrason at LA strip club The Body Shop in 2013. She was working there as a dancer at the time while Sigur Rós were in town recording their album, Kveikur.
She says she “was drunk” and “engaged in a kiss with [Dýrason] before falling asleep in the same bed” as him, where she was “completely knocked out” (via Consequence Of Sound).
“I woke up with the feeling of being penetrated without my consent during a deep slumber,” she continues.
“It happened twice that night, and I wondered myself why I didn’t leave after the first time- but I was drunk, dead tired, in shock, and this was right before I ever heard of anything like Uber/lyft … but none of that should matter because no one deserves to be raped/touched/licked/fucked without CONSENT.”
Boyd also addressed her belated reporting of the allegations in the post, saying she hesitated to come forward “for many reasons,” including that she “felt I had been irresponsible for trusting him just because he was in a band I loved and I respected him as an artist”.
But recent events, specifically the case of US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh being accused of sexual misconduct, inspired her to finally speak out.
Meanwhile, Dyrason has also issued his own statement on the Sigur Rós Facebook page.
Notably, he has not outright claimed innocence in the matter, but he has stated that “out of respect for those actually suffering from sexual violence, I will not take that fight public”.
He also pointed out that the allegations are not before the courts, but rather “Meagan’s words against mine, on the internet”.
His full statement reads:
I begin with thanking my friends and relatives for the support you have shown. It is good for me feel for your trust, despite the serious public allegations against me.
This matter has undeniably taken its toll on me for the past few days. Justifiably, some will say, and I do not intend to argue with those people. However, I sincerely ask the same people to steer their anger into the right path and abstain from dragging my family, and especially my wife, into this matter. At the same time, I ask people to stay calm and not to be divided into two battling armies, these are not court proceedings, just Meagan’s words against mine, on the internet. Loud and provocative words are in nobody’s favour – neither to me or her.
In light of the scale of this matter, I have decided to leave Sigur Rós. That is a difficult decision for me, but I cannot have these serious allegations influence the band and the important and beautiful work that has been done there for the last years. A job that is so dear to me.
I will do anything in my power to get myself out of this nightmare, but out of respect for those actually suffering from sexual violence, I will not take that fight public.
Love
Orri
Sigur Rós last toured Australia as part of Splendour In The Grass 2017.
