FVK (Fearless Vampire Killers) have split up after vocalist Kier Kemp announced his decision to quit.
The English outfit leave a legacy of three albums and three EPs, their most recent release being last year’s Bruises.
FVK say in a statement: “Last Friday Kier announced he was leaving. This revelation was greeted with shock, disappointment and heartbreak as we’ve given our lives to this band. The idea of giving up was completely alien to us.
“However, over the weekend we’ve struggled to find the answer – and we’ve come to the conclusion that it would be wrong to continue without Kier.”
The band add that Kemp’s decision wasn’t easy, but that if he hadn’t quit he’d have had to continue “something he no longer passionately connects with.”
They continue: “He apologises for any upset this may cause and is available in all the usual places if anyone has any questions or would like to talk more about it.”
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The remaining members want to take time to “rebuild and reflect,” but they vow that they “will not abandon our musical union.”
Wishing Kemp well and apologising to fans, they say: “This is not the ending we chose, but our hands have been forced. The creative force behind FVK will return.”
In his own update, the vocalist says: “I wish there was another way. Believe me I tried. When you’re a kid the dream is to obviously go that whole distance with your first band, but sometimes stuff just doesn’t pan out exactly as you want it to.
“Something like Fearless Vampire Killers required nothing less than utter dedication and when I realised I had lost that, I felt like a fake.”
He continues: “Let’s try and dig something a little more positive out of all of this. There is a legacy. There is a message that we had – and despite instantaneous reactions all of FVK are my dear friends and I’m sure that won’t end. At least, I hope it won’t.”
They completed their last UK tour in March.
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