Colbie Caillat and Justin Kawika Young Leave Gone West
After releasing their debut album, Canyons, in June, country quartet Gone West is splitting up. Gone West member Colbie Caillat…
Gone West; Photo by Gregory Keith Metcalf
After releasing their debut album, Canyons, in June, country quartet Gone West is splitting up.
Gone West member Colbie Caillat took to Instagram on Wednesday (Aug. 12) to reveal that she and her ex-fiancé, Justin Kawika Young, are leaving the group.
In her statement, Caillat acknowledged that she and Justin put “a lot of thought” into their decision to leave the group and thanked those who supported Gone West along the way.
“Creative partnerships, especially with friends, are both rewarding and challenging at times, and though this was not an easy decision, we know ending the band was the right one,” she wrote. “Justin and I are best friends and will continue to make music together forever.”
“We’re so proud of the music the four of us created together over the past three years,” Caillat continued. “Canyons is an album we truly love and cherish, every song holds so much truth in the experiences we all go through in life. I want to thank all of my fans and all of Gone West’s fans for supporting our music, coming to our shows, and everything in-between. I also want to thank Country radio, JR & Sirius XM, Triple Tigers and our entire teams hard work and creativity, and for believing in us and helping out music get out into the world. Thank you all. Here’s to whatever adventure comes next…”
Gone West was comprised of Colbie Caillat, Justin Kawika Young, Jason Reeves and his wife Nelly Joy. The group hit the country music scene in 2019 with their debut single, “What Could’ve Been.”
At this time, it is unclear whether or not Jason Reeves and Nelly Joy will continue on as a duo.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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