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The Walkmen Announce ‘Pretty Extreme Hiatus’
The Walkmen’s Peter Bauer revealed in a recent interview that after playing Philadelphia this week, the band is going on a “pretty extreme hiatus.” The bassist said after nearly 14 years together and seven studio albums, the timing is right for a break.
“We have no future plans whatsoever,” Bauer told the Washington Post. “I’d call it a pretty extreme hiatus.”
He said that for now, he and his bandmates aren’t interested in releasing a follow up to their latest LP, 2012’s Heaven.
“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.”
On the other hand, Bauer said that maybe it has been a long time. Later in the interview he added, “It’s been almost 14 years now. I think that’s enough, you know?”
The Washington Post noted that the musicians are helping out one another on their solo projects including drummer Matt Barrick playing shows with Bauer, and singer Hamilton Leithauser mixing a song on the bassist’s debut album as Peter Matthew Bauer.
Guitarist Paul Maroon is featured on Leithauser’s solo debut, which is due out in the spring. Bauer’s debut, Liberation!, doesn’t have a release date yet. Bassist/organist Walter Martin is also putting out his own album.
The Walkmen’s last show on the books is Wednesday at Philadelphia’s Union Transfer.