Irish rock band Kodaline are calling it a day after more than a decade together. Known for hits like All I Want and High Hopes, the group said they will record a fifth and final album before parting ways.
"We know this might come as a surprise and it's definitely bittersweet for us too," the band said in a video shared to Instagram. "What we've shared with you has changed our lives forever."
Formed in Dublin in 2005 as 21 Demands, the band became Kodaline in 2012 after a shift in their music. That year, bass guitarist Conor Linnane left and was replaced by Jason Boland.
Their first album under the new name, In A Perfect World (2013), reached number three in the UK and number one in Ireland.
The band, Steve Garrigan, Vincent May, Mark Prendergast, and Jason Boland, also caught critical attention, earning a nomination for the MTV Brand New award and a spot on BBC's Sound of 2013 shortlist.
Follow-up albums Coming Up For Air (2015) and Politics Of Living (2018) topped the Irish charts, while 2020’s One Day At A Time reached number two. Kodaline played major festivals including Glastonbury, Reading, and Leeds, building a devoted fanbase along the way.
Garrigan and May, childhood friends from Swords, County Dublin, started the band with Prendergast and Linnane. As 21 Demands, they first gained attention as runners-up in the fifth series of RTÉ talent show You're a Star in 2006.
In their announcement, the band said: "From busking on the streets of Dublin, to playing shows across the world, it really has been the stuff that dreams are made of. We want it to end on a high, so before we say goodbye we're heading into the studio one last time to record our fifth and final album as Kodaline."
They added they will be "forever grateful for the love and support."
"It's been a journey that we'll never forget and we hope the music stays with you long after we're gone," they said.
Fans reacted with shock and sadness online. One wrote: "One day it's here, and then it's gone, blasting this banger because Kodaline announced they're splitting up."
Another shared: "The band that made me brave enough to go alone to one of the biggest music festivals in the country for the first time. The band that helped me through covid and lockdown by having livestream gigs every week. Thank you for everything."