Here’s what The Lucksmiths wrote to their fans:

“There’s no easy way to put this, so please accept our apologies for the seemingly abrupt nature of this post. We are saddened to announce that after sixteen years as The Lucksmiths, the band has decided to break up.

“The last few years have been an uphill battle in many ways, so this isn’t a hasty decision based on any falling-out between band members, but rather, an acceptance of the inevitable. This decision was finally reached a few months back, so we’ve had plenty of time to let it sink in.

“We had tried to operate the band in a way that would suit all of us, but at the same time we’ve been very conscious that too much compromise would in the end affect our creative output. We’re very proud of the music we make, and we certainly didn’t want it to start stinking. So, in taking our cues from Devo, we’ve decided to whip the proverbial cream before it sits out too long.”

Before the indie pop band calls it quits for good, The Lucksmiths will tour Europe and then its home turf of Australia.

Dates on the books kick off with a show this Sunday at Billboard with Okkervil River in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and wind down back in Melbourne Aug. 29 for the band’s “final ever show” at Corner Hotel with Darren Hanlon.

Additional shows include Revolver at Oslo, Norway (June 30), Faraday Festival in Barcelona, Spain (July 3), Scala in London (July 8), Bang Bang Club in Berlin (July 11) and Factory Theatre in Sydney, Australia (Aug. 21).

The Lucksmiths have promised to play “super long sets” and as many old favorites as possible.

The band’s most recent release was 2008’s First Frost, their 11th full-length album.

Check out The Lucksmiths’ MySpace page here and the band’s Web site here.