Just two weeks after Tickle Me Pink guitarist/bassist, Johnny Schou, was found dead, the band has announced its future plans as well as its new touring guitarist.



"We have had to do some major soul searching as a band. We not only have lost a band member, but our best friend. The process is just beginning. We will never be able to replace Johnny, but through this tragedy we have all grown even closer together and are going to make him proud," singer Sean Kennedy told Ultimate-Guitar. Drummer Stefan Runstrom has agreed to continue playing with Pink as well. "Following a period of mourning over the loss of a great friend, it was only natural to want to move on. For two weeks, we were wrapped up in what seemed to be an enormous setback for our band. Now, it's proven to be more of an opportunity to unite and see something through till the end," Runstrom explained.

Tickle Me Pink will be touring the U.S. through September with Finch and Scary Kids Scaring Kids. Joining them for the trek will be guitarist Joey Barba, a great friend of the band, who appears during a few songs on the DVD portion of the band's CD/DVD, Madeline. "Joey is not only a brilliant player; he is a great friend to us and was to Johnny. Johnny would want it this way if he could somehow have a say," Kennedy explained. Madeline is in stores now and Kennedy shared his thoughts on Schou's passing and the lyrical content of the record: "It is somewhat ironic that many of our songs deal with death and a higher purpose. We don't think it is a coincidence that these songs came about on our record. We want to let the world know how short life is; embrace the ones you love and treasure each moment without regret."


Tickle Me Pink tour dates:

7.18: San Diego, CA @ Soma (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.19: Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.20: Pomona, CA @ The Glasshouse (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.22: St. George, UT @ The Electric Theater (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.23: Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.24: Los Angeles, CA @ Key Club (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.25: Ventura, CA @ The Ventura Theater (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.26: San Jose, CA @ SJ Skate (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.27: San Francisco, CA @ Slim's (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.28: Sacramento, CA @ The Boardwalk (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.30: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
7.31: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.1: Boise, ID @ The Big Easy (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.2: Salt Lake City, UT @ Avalon Theater (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.3: Denver, CO @ Masterpiece Ballroom (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.4: Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.5: Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.15: Louisville, CO @ Louisville Downtown Street Faire
8.16: Fort Collins, CO @ Bohemian Nights @ New West
8.25: Lawrence, KS @ The Butterneck (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.26: Omaha, NE @ Sokol Underground (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.27: St. Paul, MN @ Station (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.28: Chicago, IL @ Metro (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.29: Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.30: Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
8.31: Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small's Theatre (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.2: Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East (with Finch)
9.3: New York City, NY @ The Fillmore at Irving Plaza (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.4: Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.5: Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.6: Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.7: Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.9: Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.10: Nashville, TN @ Rocketown (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.11: Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.12: Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.13: St. Petersberg, FL @ The State Theatre (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.14: Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.16: Metairie, LA @ The High Ground (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.17: Houston, TX @ Meridian (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.18: Dallas, TX @ House of Blues (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.19: San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)
9.20: Austin, TX @ Antones (with Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Finch)