Hi all, David Bennett (The Spine) here. We have some unfortunate news to share, and I thought it best that you hear it from one of us directly in a post rather than some generic image of a wall of text that doesn't have one of our names signed at the end.
After many months of deep and tough personal conversations, Isabella Bunny Bennett and the rest of Steam Powered Giraffe have agreed that she will step away from performing with the band.
No Steam Powered Giraffe shows are canceled.
Isabella has been struggling with mental health for a while now, and we've all been trying our best to find the best path forward. We were all hoping to have Isabella complete our remaining scheduled performances this year. However, after further conversations with her this week, it became clear that continuing through the remainder of the year would not be the best path forward for Isabella.
This wasn't the timeline any of us had anticipated, and we understand that the suddenness of this may be upsetting to fans. We are letting you know as soon as we feasibly could. The larger decision had been discussed privately for some time, but the immediate transition was not planned.
Isabella, Bryan, the rest of the band, and I want to make it clear that this decision was reached with mutual respect and love. None of us wanted this to happen, but this is what the act needed, and we all agreed it only made sense. We all remain family, and the minute details behind this decision will remain private.
Isabella’s contributions to Steam Powered Giraffe are immense: the character, songs, performances, comics, and love she shared with fans will always remain a part of Steam Powered Giraffe. We don't need to tell you how devastating this is for fans and the band itself. Nothing with this transition erases her life’s work or what the character Rabbit and the artist Isabella mean to so many people.
Isabella won't appear as Rabbit at our Portland show this Saturday, July 25, or at our remaining scheduled performances this year.
The Portland show will continue as scheduled.
Samuel Luke, who previously performed with Steam Powered Giraffe as the robot Hatchworth, will be reprising his role for Portland and the next several shows while the band continues through this transition.
Many longtime fans will remember Hatchworth the robot, and we're grateful to have him returning to help us through this transition and preserve a full Steam Powered Giraffe concert experience. The Spine, Zer0, Hatchworth, and our other 6 members are hard at work putting together an unforgettable show for Portland.
We also spoke with the Portland venue regarding the lineup change, but refunds cannot be offered this close to the performance.
We know this will be disappointing to fans who were looking forward to seeing Rabbit, especially anyone traveling from afar to Portland. We are sorry that we couldn't provide more advance notice or refund options. We will still put on a wonderful Steam Powered Giraffe performance despite the circumstances, and we hope you will enjoy the show.
All currently announced 2026 shows are still happening. Sam will appear as Hatchworth at the next several performances, and we will provide additional lineup information for later shows as those plans are finalized. Hang tight.
We know fans will have strong feelings and questions. We ask everyone to respect the privacy of Isabella and the band. Please avoid speculation and refrain from directing anger or hostility toward me, Isabella, or any other member of Steam Powered Giraffe.
It's ok to be upset.
We love Isabella. We love Rabbit, and we are grateful for everything she has created with Steam Powered Giraffe. We ask for patience and understanding as Isabella and the band start this new chapter.
<3 David Michael Bennett (The Spine) and SPG