Walk the Moon Announces They're Going into 'Hibernation' in Tearful Video

The band — which was founded in 2006 — was best known for their hit "Shut Up and Dance"

Walk the Moon, the three-piece band behind "Shut Up and Dance" and "Lost in the Wild," is going their separate ways.

On Friday morning, frontman Nicholas Petricca announced that the band is entering an indefinite hiatus in an emotional YouTube video.

“The time has come for us to take a good long break from touring and making records together,” Petricca said in the opening of the video, posted to the band's page. "When we do reconvene, that will be a glorious day. And the truth is, we don’t know when that’s gonna be."

The 36-year-old singer assured that the band is filled with "love, gratitude and appreciation" — but also "heartache" as they reflect on everything they've accomplished together.

Related: BTS Announce 'Extended Hiatus' After 'Relentlessly' Performing for 6 Years

“It is an enormous act of love to carefully lift something like this from the center of our lives and place it gently to the side, out of focus, and let it rest for a moment,” he said. “It’s a choice we made powerfully to follow our truth, to make space for new creations, for family, to serve our well-being and, in the long run, even serve the well-being of Walk the Moon, like hibernation, to hopefully come back one day stronger than before.”

In the 11-minute video, Petricca gave a shoutout to his band members, the fans and the people they've worked with along the way. He also said that the members will occasionally pop back in to announce their solo work. (He teased that guitarist Eli Maiman has “a new musical collaboration in the works,” while he is working on a "solo project universe.")

He also opened up about how the band saved him in a dark period of his life.

“In 2009, when all the other members had left, I was a band of one when my dad was getting sick, and I was at the bottom of the darkest corner of my life,” Petricca said, fighting back tears.

He continued, “I could have just let Walk the Moon die and disappear. Instead, I made the choice to keep going. From that point forward, Walk the Moon has been the greatest gift to me, this vehicle through which my pain and joy and memories and experiences have been transmitted to millions of other human beings in this magical way.”

Related: The Band Perry Announces Hiatus and Says Members Will Focus on 'Individual Creative Pursuits'

Before the hiatus, however, the band plans to livestream the final concert of their tour and release new music. Walk the Moon has four remaining shows.

Petricca concluded the video by thanking fans for supporting the band.

"With all the love in our multicolor hearts, thank you for whatever you’ve done to make this music what it is. We love you. See you soon," he said.

Petricca started the band in 2006, but his current bandmates (Maiman and drummer Sean Waugaman) didn't join until 2011. Longtime bassist Kevin Ray left the band in December 2020.

Known for wearing colorful face paint onstage, the band released their self-titled debut album in 2012 with hits like "Anna Sun" and "Tightrope." Meanwhile, 2014's "Shut Up and Dance" landed them a spot in Billboard's Top 10. Their most recent project was 2021's Heights.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.