Modest Mouse Guitarist Simon O'Connor Sidelined From Tour Amid Inappropriate Messaging Allegation
Modest Mouse announced on Thursday, July 31, 2026 via social media that guitarist Simon O'Connor will not join the band's upcoming tour. The statement followed allegations posted earlier that week on the band's Reddit forum, where a fan shared screenshots claiming O'Connor sent inappropriate direct messages to a 16-year-old fan. According to NME, Seth Jabour, guitarist of Les Savy Fav, will fill in for O'Connor at all tour dates.
What the allegations say
The fan said her Instagram profile displayed her age and included a countdown story to her 17th birthday, which O'Connor had viewed. According to the screenshots, O'Connor opened the conversation with a sticker reading "SIMON calls your bluff BUZZ," followed by a sexually suggestive meme. The fan said the original image was not blurred or censored.
O'Connor's response
O'Connor responded on the same forum, stating he is "unequivocally" opposed to "any sexual conduct involving minors." He said he had been targeted by repeated fake accounts and mistakenly believed the fan's account belonged to the same person, leading him to send the meme and sticker in an attempt to signal he'd identified the impersonator — a decision he called poor judgment. He said he deleted the message and ended the conversation within minutes of realizing his error, and issued a direct apology to the person who received the message.
Replacement and where things stand
The band's statement was brief, confirming only that O'Connor would not be joining the tour and welcoming Jabour aboard. It did not directly address the allegations, nor did it clarify whether O'Connor has left the band permanently. O'Connor has been a member of Modest Mouse since 2021.
What we don't know yet
- Whether O'Connor's absence from the tour is temporary or permanent
- Any further statement from Modest Mouse addressing the allegations directly
Jabour is a founding member of the New York indie rock band Les Savy Fav, active since the mid-1990s. Modest Mouse released their eighth studio album, An Eraser And A Maze, in June 2026 — their first new material in years following the 2022 death of founding drummer Jeremiah Green.