Contributed by hey_ska, Posted by Tooth & Nail

Drummer Yuri Ruley has announced that he will be retiring from MxPx after eighteen years in the band. He explained in a press release:

With MxPx being a touring band and constantly on the road 9 months out of the year, I knew at some point it would have to come to an end, but the reality of it is a lot harder than I thought it would be. MxPx has been my second family for nearly two decades, but I need to step away to focus on raising my family.

With Ruley's departure, MxPx will be scaling back a bit to focus on the completion of their new live DVD/photo book and new EP. Vocalist and bassist Mike Herrera will lean his focus to Tumbledown's sophomore release and guitarist Tom Wisniewski will continue with MxPx in conjunction with his new full-time job.

The band will be performing in Las Vegas on July 18th as a farewell to Ruley and celebration of their most celebrated release to date by performing the entirety of third LP, Life In General.