The banjo-shredding Duluth band broke that news Sunday with this cryptic tweet:

Going away for a little while. We love you all. Thanks for an amazing first chapter. — Trampled by Turtles (@tbtduluth) October 24, 2016

The sleuths over at Saving Country Music worked backwards, and discovered an October 13 press release from TbT frontman Dave Simonett's alt-country solo project, Dead Man Winter, embedded with more clues. It reads thusly:

“After 14 years of leading the successful progressive bluegrass outfit, Simonett chose to put [Trampled by Turtles] on hold, and for the first time, dedicate an entire album to one topic. The 10 songs that comprise Furnace reflect a man coming to terms with a painful divorce and the heartbreaking separation from his two children."

Due out January 27, Furnace is Simonett's second full-length as DMW, following 2011's Bright Lights. The "introspective" and "venomous" LP was recorded at legendary Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. You can read more about the lovingly restored recording space here.

But back to TbT!

"All is good with the band, they’re just taking a break from the road for a bit as they’ve been touring for almost 13 years," publicist Michelle Steele tells City Pages, adding that the five members plan to work on side gigs and spend time with their families.

Trampled by Turtles have earned a devoted worldwide fanbase over the course of eight albums, including 2014's Wild Animals. Their Festival Palomino music fest, which went down last month at Hall's Island in Minneapolis, has bloomed into a regional destination for Americana fans since debuting in 2014.

TbT performed last Saturday in Hinckley, Minnesota, perhaps their final outing for the foreseeable future.