Mineral have announced they’re calling it quits after playing a farewell show at Best Friends Forever Festival, a three-day emo and indie-rock music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event takes place October 10-12 at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center.
In a statement shared with Pitchfork, Mineral’s lead singer, Chris Simpson said, “Over the years the band has come into and out of our lives in phases. Lately we’ve been feeling like maybe it was done and had been adequately and organically wrapped up, but we’re delighted for the opportunity to put a more thoughtful and intentional bow on what has been one of the more passionate and meaningful endeavors of our individual and collective lives.”
Though they’re considered a foundational band in the emo genre, Mineral also incorporated indie-rock and post-rock into their sound during their original run, which came to an end in 1998 after releasing two studio albums, an EP, a handful of singles, and a 1997 split with Jimmy Eat World and Sense Field. Mineral initially reunited in 2014 for a short tour, marking their first live shows in 17 years, only to return several years later to celebrate their 25th anniversary. The Texas group went on to release two new songs, put out a retrospective book, and tour heavily before the pandemic brought things to a halt. Mineral played their most recent show to date at Alabam’s Furnace Fest in September 2021.
Rounding out the 2025 lineup at Best Friends Forever are headliners Minus the Bear—reuniting for the first time since 2018—and Jawbreaker, as well as Rilo Kiley, Texas Is the Reason, Superchunk, Wednesday, Tigers Jaw, Rival Schools, Hey Mercedes, and Pretty Girls Make Graves. Special highlights include Cursive playing Domestica and The Ugly Organ, Bear vs. Shark playing Terrorhawk, Pedro the Lion celebrating their 30th anniversary, and a newly reunited Snowing, the cult-favorite Midwest emo band from Philadelphia.
Best Friends Forever Festival spans three days and features two stages. Tickets for the all-ages festival are currently on sale. The inaugural edition of the festival in 2024 was headlined by Sunny Day Real Estate, Cap’n Jazz, and—after Bright Eyes had to drop out—the Blood Brothers.
Revisit Pitchfork’s reviews of the two Mineral studio albums, 1997’s The Power of Failing and 1998’s EndSerenading.
