Gerard Way Opens Up About My Chemical Romance Split - National

It’s been nearly six years since world-renowned pop-punk outfit My Chemical Romance (or MCR), parted ways.

Over the weekend, ex-frontman and lyrical mastermind Gerard Way, opened up about the band’s split for the first time during an interview with The Guardian.

The 41-year-old was detailing his brand new Netflix show The Umbrella Academy, before being asked about MCR’s whereabouts. He revealed that pressure to create a worthy follow-up to the band’s most popular record The Black Parade (2006), had a lot to do with their collective decision.

“It wasn’t fun to make stuff anymore,” he admitted. “I think breaking up the band broke us out of that machine.”

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During the studio sessions of MCR’s fourth and final record Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, is reportedly when the pressure significantly weighed down on the band. Way said they had felt it as soon as they dropped The Black Parade.

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“When things start to succeed and go really well…” he said, “that’s when a lot of people start to have an opinion and that’s when you run into struggle. You get caught up in this trap of ‘Is it ever gonna be good enough?’

“Everybody had a f**king opinion about what MCR should be,” he continued, “so it made it difficult to figure out what direction to take next.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "Everybody had a f**king opinion about what MCR should be," he continued, "so it made it difficult to figure out what direction to take next."

According to The Guardian, Way credited the band’s split partly to the changing of the world — most notably with their opinions that former president Barack Obama’s America was changing things for the better, meaning that their job was done.

Upon reflection, however, the frontman admitted with Donald Trump in power he’s pondered their return.

“I thought about [it] when the world started to get super f**ked-up again,” he said.

“It definitely came into my head, but I’ve changed so much as a person. I don’t know how I’d fit into it any more. But the world is definitely in need of something positive.

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "It definitely came into my head, but I've changed so much as a person. I don't know how I'd fit into it any more. But the world is definitely in need of something positive.

“We definitely get offers regularly to reunite,” he said. “It’s a constant thing.

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“It’s flattering and it’s really nice of people. I do miss playing with the guys, but I don’t think so,” Way concluded.

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March 22, 2013, marked the official end of MCR. The band posted an official statement on its website explaining their decision:

“Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing. We’ve gotten to go places we never knew we would. We’ve been able to see and experience things we never imagined possible.

We’ve shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends. And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end. Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "Being in this band for the past 12 years has been a true blessing. We've gotten to go places we never knew we would. We've been able to see and experience things we never imagined possible.</p><p>We've shared the stage with people we admire, people we look up to, and best of all, our friends. And now, like all great things, it has come time for it to end. Thanks for all of your support, and for being part of the adventure."