Widespread Panic frontman John Bell says that founding drummer Todd Nance will return to the band at the beginning of 2016. Bell discussed the drummer’s absence in a new Billboard interview saying, “Todd was just taking care of some personal stuff, and Duane Trucks’ definitely part of the family because he’s Jimmy (Herring)‘s son-in-law. It’s been fun playing with him. But Todd’s on his way back: he’s planning to be back the beginning of next year.”

Nance took a break from Panic in late 2014 and has remained on hiatus for almost a year. Trucks has subbed for Nance both on the road and on the band’s new album Street Dogs. In recent months, Nance has busied himself with a variety of Todd Nance & Friends shows in Colorado and the Southeast. This past Saturday he hosted a Friends gig featuring Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), Cody Dickinson (NMAS), Jerry Joseph (Stockholm Syndrome), Daniel Hutchens & Eric Carter (Bloodkin), David Barbe, Tori Pater (Dyrty Byrds), Eric Martinez (Dyrty Byrds) and Spanky McCluer (Dyrty Byrds) at Denver’s Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom. Then, on Sunday, he performed with Joseph, Hutchens, Carter and members of Dyrty Byrds at Denver’s Fowler’s Backyard.