Katseye started the year off strong, but the past few months have been marred by hiccups. What’s going on?
In February, the six members of the group delivered a spirited performance of “Gnarly” during the Best New Artist medley at the 2026 Grammy Awards. In April, they made their Coachella debut on the heels of their single “Pinky Up.” By then, they were down to five members, with Manon Bannerman on an indefinite hiatus to focus on her “health and wellbeing,” a break that is currently in its ninth month.
“I’m really grateful for the patience and kindness everyone has shown during this time,” Bannerman said in April, adding that she’d had “positive conversations” with the group’s labels. “I feel supported. I’m happy and I’m healthy.” Katseye powered full-speed ahead in the meantime.
Over the summer, the group announced their Wildworld Tour, a global trek scheduled to put them on arena stages in the fall. Leading up to the launch, Katseye released their third EP, Wild, in August and made a major push to expand their audience with an appearance as musical guest on Saturday Night Live in September.
They were now down to four members, with Sophia Laforteza on a hiatus expected to conclude next January. “Making this decision wasn’t easy, but I’m learning that health has to come first,” she said over the summer. “I’m realising that if I don’t take care of my mind and body now, I won’t be able to keep doing what I love the most for so long.”
And so Katseye began the North American leg of the tour as a quartet. But last week, their Detroit concert was postponed shortly before they were scheduled to hit the stage. “Megan [Skiendiel] is unwell and unable to perform tonight, and we want to make sure she has the time she needs to rest and recover,” the group shared on Instagram. Two more postponements followed with the confirmation that Skiendiel’s previously undisclosed illness was actually a concussion. This came on top of her sprained ankle, which resulted in the cancellation of their appearance at Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Festival in August.
On Nov. 10, the four remaining active members of Katseye returned to the stage for the Austin stop on the Wildworld Tour. Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, and Yoonchae Jeung performed as usual, and Skiendiel performed on a chair while wearing blacked-out sunglasses, likely to block the light and avoid any further discomfort related to the concussion. Skiendiel prefaced ahead of the Nov. 10 show that she would be performing on a “modified schedule,” which included reduced choreography and necessary breaks.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
On Nov. 11, Katseye performed in Dallas with all four members back on their feet, though Skiendiel continued to wear her sunglasses throughout the show. With three dates already postponed, the group still has nine more to go on the North American leg of the Wildworld Tour. In January, after a brief two-month break, Katseye will resume the tour with stops across Asia and Australia. By then, Laforteza will have returned from her mental health break. We’ll have to stay tuned to see what happens next.
From Rolling Stone US
