The vintage musical stylings, indie rock sensibilities and post-punk revivalism of American band The Walkmen are set to go sit on a shelf for a while. Aside from a pair of upcoming shows in Washington, DC and Philadelphia, the band have revealed that they don’t have any plans for the foreseeable future.
Speaking with The Washington Post, bassist Peter Bauer has said that the band “have no future plans whatsoever,” and that he would deem this period in their history to be, “a pretty extreme hiatus”.
Bauer reveals that the band aren’t really in the right headspace to record another album as a follow-up to 2012’s well-received album Heaven:
“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.”
It’s clear in Bauer’s descriptions that the band, despite playing together since they were teenagers, have moved apart slightly with the normal consequences of family life. He addresses this topic with a notable humour, saying: “We all live in different cities and we call each other occasionally. It’s like going to Thanksgiving.”
Bauer goes on to confirm that the band aren’t breaking up, and that they’re “all still pals and all”. It’s evident, though, that the band’s longevity has put some strain on their enthusiasm, Bauer saying: “It’s been almost 14 years now… I think that’s enough, you know?”
Three members of The Walkmen are working on solo projects at the moment. Vocalist Hamilton Leithauser has a solo debut due out in 2014. Co-Bassist/organist Walter Martin is also working on an album, as is Bauer himself. His debut album as Peter Matthew Bauer, titled Liberation!, still doesn’t have any set release date.
Check out Heaven, the lead track from The Walkmen’s most recent album, below.
Watch: The Walkmen – Heaven
(Via Consequence of Sound)
