The Walkmen Announce "Extreme Hiatus"

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Nov 29, 2013

After a steady 14-year grind, hard-working indie favourites the Walkmen are about to head on an "extreme hiatus," according to band bassist Pete Bauer.

The four-stringer said as much in a recent interview with the Washington Post earlier this week, noting that a pair of upcoming performances in Washington and Philadelphia, will be the last we hear from the act for a while. Though it's not an official breakup, the time apart will apparently be pretty significant.

"We have no future plans whatsoever," he said. "I'd call it a pretty extreme hiatus."

He added of the group's current game plan: "We really just have no idea. I don't think any of us wanted to write another Walkmen record. Maybe that will change down the line, maybe it won't, maybe we'll play shows. I think it's weird to make a hubbub about something if there's nothing to really make a hubbub about. At the same time, I don't think we've been a gang properly for a long time, so there's not much to break up, I guess."

While the band have no immediate plans to record a follow-up to 2012's Heaven, members have been teaming up together on other releases. As previously reported, vocalist Hamilton Leithauser has a solo debut coming out sometime in 2014. Musicians involved on the recordings include Walkmen guitarist Paul Maroon, Fleet Foxes/Cave Singers multi-instrumentalist Morgan Henderson, Richard Swift and Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij.

Bauer is readying a solo debut of his own titled Liberation!, which marks the first time he's sung lead vocals or written lyrics. Leithauser mixed a song on the LP, which has to yet yield a due date, while drummer Matthew Barrick has been playing live with Bauer.

Organist/bassist Walter Martin is also making a solo album, but details are forthcoming.

As for those last shows, at least in the foreseeable future, you can check out the show details down below.

Tour dates:

11/30 Washington, DC - Union Market
12/04 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer

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