Who is Max Oleartchik? Big Thief announces departure of the founding member

American Indie-folk band Big Thief recently announced the departure of bass guitarist, Max Oleartchik, via an Instagram post on July 12, 2024. The post cited that the change was made because of "interpersonal reasons with mutual respect" among the band members.

"After many beautiful years together, Max is no longer in Big Thief," the caption read.

Max is the co-founder of Big Thief, alongside Buck Meek and Adrianne Lenker. Buck Meek and Max became friends at the Berklee five-week program as teenagers and eventually lost touch. However, the two bumped into each other in 2015 in Brooklyn when Adrianne and Buck Meek were looking for a band. This is how the three formed Big Thief.

Born in September 1987, Max Oleartchik is originally from Tel Aviv, Israel. The Big Thief bass guitarist is the son of popular Israeli musician, Alon Oleartchik. Music was in Max's family legacy, given his grandfather Edward Oleartchik was also a famous songwriter in Poland.

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"We wouldn’t be who we are without Max" — Big Thief praises Max Oleartchik, announcing his departure from the band

In an Instagram post announcing Max Oleartchik's exit, Big Thief uploaded a carousel of the band's moments over the years. The band sent a collective message to their fans in the caption, stating that their "love for each other is infinite" and that they are grateful for having shared so many years together.

Moreover, the caption further read:

"We wouldn’t be who we are without Max. This separation marks the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one for Big Thief."

The band also mentioned that Max's absence is going to be a big change for them. Big Thief also requested their fans' respect, trust, and care as the band moves into the next chapter without one of its founding members.

While the band was known for albums like Two Hands, Masterpiece, and Vampire Empire, they made headlines in 2022 after announcing their concerts in Tel Aviv, Israel, in July'22. The band confirmed via Instagram that their intention and motivation for playing in Max Oleartchik's homeland was that they had spent seven years meeting and exploring each other's families and cultures.

The band added that it was important for the band to share their homes, families, and friends to "gain a deeper understanding of one another." That's why they performed in Israel.

In addition, Big Thief stated that their intention was not to diminish the thought process and values of the people boycotting Israel, aka the BDS movement, and that it was in the "spirit of learning."

The band also announced that the profits from the concert were to be donated to NGOs offering humanitarian and medical aid to Palestinian children. However, the show was canceled owing to the tension of disbandment. Adrianne Lenker gave a statement to the New York Times in March 2024, calling the show "naive and not thought out."

However, Big Thief had played in Max's hometown Tel Aviv before at a concert in 2017.

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Max Oleartchik hasn't commented on his departure from the band or the interpersonal reasons that caused it. However, fans of Big Thief believe that tension in the band was prevalent from the time they canceled their concerts in Israel