Bad Wolves Frontwoman Addresses Tour Cancellation and Guitarist’s Exit Amid Dolly Parton Cover Controversy

Bad Wolves have faced a series of challenges recently. Last year, vocalist D.L. Laskiewicz left the Los Angeles metal outfit to join Falling In Reverse. Earlier this year, Sara “Killboy” Skinner was introduced as the band’s new frontwoman, but the group has now been pulled from its upcoming tour with Christian rock act Skillet, reportedly after Skillet fans targeted Skinner with harassment.

In a video statement, she said, “I’m addressing you today to confirm that Bad Wolves will not be joining Skillet on their forthcoming tour. Although Skillet’s team preferred I stay silent, a response seems necessary. I’ve always been open about who I am, so let’s clear up any speculation.”

She added, “Here’s the reality: Skillet announced our participation, and their fans launched an intense online investigation that the band’s booking team overlooked. Their findings labeled me as a trans OnlyFans creator—only part of that description is accurate. Feel free to draw your own conclusions; we’ll see you on the road again.”

Adding to the turmoil, guitarist AJ Rebollo announced his departure. The band had recorded a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” months earlier, but their label, Better Noise Music, is pushing for its release despite the group’s belief that issuing the track so soon after Parton’s passing would be inappropriate.

He explained, “We informed the label that we did not want to release the cover after learning of Dolly’s passing, noting that her involvement was no longer possible and that releasing it could be seen as exploiting her death. Nevertheless, the label announced the release regardless, ignoring our objections.”

He continued, “The label repeatedly overrides our creative choices, draining our enthusiasm for making music. The constant stream of hate, negativity, and harassment stemming from decisions beyond our control has severely impacted our well‑being, and I can no longer remain in this environment.”

Bad Wolves gained prominence with their cover of The Cranberries’ “Zombie,” issued just days after Dolores O’Riordan’s sudden death in 2018. AJ Rebollo was not part of the lineup at that time; he joined as a touring guitarist in 2023 and became a full‑time member a year later. The “Jolene” cover is slated for release on Monday, August 31. Below is a statement from band founder John Boecklin, taken from the press release:

Our singer is a big fan of Dolly and had posted a bunch of videos of her covering “Jolene.” So, we decided to make a Heavy Metal cover version for our next album. On hearing our version, our label CEO Dan Waite sent the finished demo to Dolly’s Manager Danny Nozell with a request for Dolly to guest feature on our version. We heard back that Danny had played the track to Dolly, and that Dolly loved our version, and that Dolly was going to go into the studio and add her vocals very soon. We then sent over the stems for Dolly’s studio engineers to work with. Like everyone, we were devastated of this week’s news of Dolly’s passing. We will honor Dolly’s incredible legacy by donating proceeds from “Jolene” to the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

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