Former Arctic Monkeys bassist Andy Nicholson considered suicide after leaving the band

17 November 2019, 20:30 | Updated: 17 November 2019, 20:31

Arctic Monkeys original bassist Andy Nicholson and Arctic Monkeys at the 2015 GRAMMY Awards. Picture: Ebet Roberts/Redferns/Getty Images & Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

The original band member has opened up about being replaced by Nick O'Malley in the Sheffield band after taking a three-week break.

The original Arctic Monkeys bassist has revealed he was suicidal after parting ways with the band.

Andy Nicholson - who also goes by the name GOLDTEETH on his solo project - was one of the Sheffield outfit's founding members, forming the band in 2002 alongside frontman Alex Turner, drummer Matt Helders and guitarist Jamie Cook.

However, he was replaced by Nick O'Malley in 2006, who was initially only drafted in as a temporary replacement for him on the band's North American dates.

Now, Nicholson has opened up about the aftermath of leaving the band - revealing on an episode The Michael Anthony Show that it left him "really depressed".

After discussing how he was only meant to take a three-week break from the band due a family issue, their musician mused: "I still to this day don’t really know the full reason of what happened to me or why it happened."

Asked if he was depressed to the point of considering suicide, he answered: "Course, I was very close to… not being here, do you know what I mean?

"And then managing to talk to people, and getting through it, and time heals everything."

PHOTOS: 15 rare photos from Arctic Monkeys' early days

The musician, DJ, record producer and photographer - who featured on the band's debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - also revealed the band broke the news to him at their management's office.

“It was probably one of the few soul destroying moments of my life," he recalled.

Talking about his reaction after being told, he revealed how he tried to remain stoic and wished his bandmates good luck.

"I was trying to be solid about this," he explained. "So I remember I shook all three of their hands, and I walked outside and I had this jumper on, and took it off and I just remember throwing it to one side”.

Speaking of his history with Alex Turner and Matt Helders, he added: "Al and Helders, we’d had a life before we knew how many strings were on a guitar. It was a difficult part of life for a few months after...

"I remember ringing Al the next day and he were like ‘I don’t know what to say,’ and I just remember I hung up and we didn’t speak for a few years after that.”