Andrew Altman has announced that he will leave Railroad Earth at the end of November. The bassist’s final shows with the group will take place during their Horn O’Plenty event in Stroudsburg, PA on November 25 and 26.

In a statement, Altman explained, “After 13 fun-filled years, the time has come for me to take a step back from full-time touring. Making music for a live audience still remains the great thrill of my life and the guys in Railroad Earth continue to inspire me every time we take the stage. However, the pandemic hiatus brought with it an opportunity to build a stronger relationship with my family and that has started to outweigh the demands of frequent travel. I’m so proud of everything that we have accomplished together in RRE and I know they have many great years of music still ahead. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone in the band, crew, and of course the incredibly supportive hobo community for taking a chance on me all those years ago. These experiences have truly changed my life and I’m hoping all our paths continue to cross in the future.”

Altman–a former member of Blueground Undergrass and The Codetalkers who has collaborated with members of Infamous Stringdusters, Guster and American Babies–has played bass with Railroad Earth since 2010. Before he joined, Railroad Earth co-founder Dave Von Dollen served as the ensemble’s bassist from 2001-2003 while Johnny Grubb held down the low-end from 2003-2009. Altman appears on Railroad Earth’s self-titled 2010 set, 2014’s Last of the Outlaws, 2017’s Captain Nowhere EP, 2019’s The John Denver Letters project and this year’s All For The Song, as well as their 2015 collaboration with Warren Haynes, Ashes & Dust. A note from the band upon Altman’s announcement reads, “We wish him all the best, and are thankful for 13 years of music, bass and brotherhood!”

Railroad Earth have not named a replacement as of press time.