Public Relationship Announcement
Sully Erna publicly disclosed his romantic relationship with Dorothy Martin during an April 23 appearance on SiriusXM's 'Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk.' Dorothy, who celebrated her 40th birthday earlier in April 2026, expressed her enthusiasm about the relationship, telling host Eddie Trunk: 'I love this man. He's such a good, solid man. I feel safe with him. And we had a wonderful friendship for months and months. I've never laughed so much in my life.' Erna said they connected through shared experiences of past difficult relationships and found it meaningful to voice those experiences through their art.
Musical Collaboration: 'Set Me Free'
Erna and Dorothy have recorded a track called 'Set Me Free,' produced by Scott Stevens and Erna. The song is described as 'an incredibly powerful and really straight-up, bad-ass, boot-kicking rock song' that showcases Dorothy's 'cool and smokey and bluesy' vocal style. Erna stated: 'It's actually really good. It's a banger. It's coming out soon.' He emphasized it is not a ballad or 'sappy' but rather 'a down-and-dirty good hard rock song.' The collaboration will be released before Godsmack's Rise of Rock World Tour begins May 7.
New Godsmack Music in Development
Godsmack, which declared in 2023 that its ninth album would be its last, has reversed course. Sully Erna told Billboard: 'Definitely there's gonna be a new record — I just don't know when it's coming. We'll probably get some new music out by early '27, I suppose. I'm starting to noodle (on new songs), but it's a little too soon to say.' This follows the April 2025 retirement of original guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin, who left to pursue a quieter life away from touring.
Godsmack's Reimagined Lineup
After the departures of Rombola and Larkin, Godsmack brought in Evanescence drummer Will Hunt and Dorothy guitarist Sam Koltun. Erna explained the decision to continue: 'Me and Robbie sat down and had a long talk. We contemplated kind of retiring the band...but we were just like, We don't really want to stop yet. We feel like we have some gas in the tank. We love what we do.' The new members toured Europe in 2025 and are honored the music of the classic catalog with strong attention to detail.
Dorothy Martin's Background
Dorothy Martin, 40, is the lead singer of the rock band Dorothy. Earlier in April 2026, she disclosed in an interview with the UK's Daily Mail that she had previously been in a toxic relationship with a 'world-renowned musician from another popular band' who engaged in gaslighting, lying, and emotional and psychological abuse. She emphasized the importance of giving survivors strength to leave and recover from abuse, though she declined to name her ex-partner. 
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