The 09ers have a new queen, now that the Veronica Mars movie has recast the role of Carrie Bishop.

Though series creator Rob Thomas had hoped to bring back Gossip Girl‘s Leighton Meester in the role she created, “Sadly, [she] was doing a different movie during the same time frame on the wrong coast. In the end, she was unavailable,” he reported to Kickstarter backers on Sunday.

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As for his choice of recast, Thomas explains that in addition to wanting the history that would have come with Meester’s encore, “we needed a performer who could sing in this important role. [So I] decided to cast someone from a band I already wanted in the movie.”

Cue Andrea Estella, lead singer for one of Thomas’ fave bands, Twin Sister.

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Estella says in a statement that while not an existing fan of all things Neptune, upon quickly consuming the pilot, “It’s the exact kind of show I would get obsessed with.” She also says that “it’s been a bit of dream to be in a movie, especially being a messed up rock princess. How could I say no? I think the VM fans are going to be very happy!”