Stop all the clocks. Get the tissues at the ready. Get your mourning clothes out, because today it has been announced that The Maccabees are no more. That’s right, you heard me. The Maccabees have announced that their time as a band has come to an end.
The band announced their split via Twitter this morning in a heartfelt statement that read ‘after fourteen years as a band we have decided to call it a day’. They were keen to dismiss that there had been any disagreements within the band, saying ‘there have not been fallings out and we are grateful to say that we are not leaving the group behind as a divided force’.
The band first burst onto our stereos back in 2005, with the furious-guitar lead debut single X-Ray. The band then proceeded to have four albums, including Colour It In (2007), Wall of Arms (2009), Given to the Wild (2011) before their final and most successful album, Marks to Prove it in 2015. Singles like ‘Toothpastes Kisses’ have come to be a favourite amongst fans, being a defining song of the noughties.
The past few years proved to be some of their most successful years, with Marks to Prove it reaching number one in the UK album charts (their first album to do so), while selling out in venues across the UK on top of headlining their first ever major festival at Latitude Fest this year.
The band’s guitarist, Felix White, had previously said ‘we’ve got nothing in the way of new songs or ideas at the moment. We’ve written on tour in the past, but we just haven’t done it this time around. We haven’t talked about new music at all.’
Many fans have been speculating whether their recent Marks to Prove it tour was in fact a parting gift to fans; a final goodbye before they disappeared into a musical sunset.
If there’s anything positive to be garnered from the announcement it’s that there is to be ‘some farewell celebration shows’ to come.
So, at least we’ve got some more Maccabees’ magic to look forward to, before we have to tearfully hand them over to the wild.
You can read the band’s full statement here:
A message to our fans…. With Love, The Maccabees x pic.twitter.com/v2DN0PMP4R
— The Maccabees (@themaccabees) August 8, 2016
Words by Juliette Rowsell