The White Stripes Announce They’re Breaking Up

The groundbreaking rock duo announced Wednesday they are splitting up and “will make no further new recordings or perform live.”

Jack White and Meg White say there are a “myriad of reasons” for the breakup, but the main reason is to “preserve what is beautiful and special about the band.”

The last recording by the White Stripes was the live album Under the Great White Northern Lights, released last year.

Over the years, Jack White has focused attention on other projects, including the bands The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs, as well as his Nashville, Tenn.-based Third Man Records.