The Maccabees have announced that they are breaking up, confirming the news in a statement released today (Monday, August 8).

The London fivepiece released four albums in total since forming in 2002. Their most recent record ‘Marks To Prove It’, released in July 2015, followed on from ‘Given to the Wild’ (2012), ‘Wall of Arms’ (2009) and debut ‘Colour It In’ (2007). The band headlined Latitude Festival in July.

READ MORE: The Maccabees’ 2015 NME Cover Feature


In a statement posted to Facebook and Twitter, the band write of their split: “There have not been fallings out and we are grateful to say that we are not leaving the group as a dividing force”.

The group also state that the members will “continue making music” and promise farewell shows for later in the year.

Read the statement in full below.

A message to our fans…. With Love, The Maccabees x pic.twitter.com/v2DN0PMP4R — The Maccabees (@themaccabees) August 8, 2016


SEE MORE: The Maccabees’ 10 Best Songs Ranked

Guitarist Felix White has recently told NME that they had not been writing new material. “We’ve got nothing in the way of new songs or ideas at the moment,” he said. “We’ve written on tour in the past, but we just haven’t done it this time around. We haven’t talked about new songs as a band at all.”

Jordan Hughes/NME

Writing at the time of its release, NME said of the band’s final album ‘Marks To Prove It’: “By turning their focus outwards, The Maccabees have paradoxically learned more about themselves, what they can do as a band and where they can go from here. It might not have been an easy path, but the bruises show on the end product as beautifully as a black-and-blue sunset.”

