London indie rockers The Rakes have called it a day, making a statement to NME yesterday that announced that they have disbanded and cancelled their forthcoming tour in the process.

The band, made up of Alan Donohoe, Matthew Swinnerton, Jamie Hornsmith and Lasse Petersen are still best known for their 2004 single '22 Grand Job', and released their third and final album 'Klang', back in March.

The news does not come as a total surprise, as the band made a post on their myspace page in August that suggested fans should "Book your tickets now as it may be the last time you get to see THE RAKES AS YOU KNOW THEM."

The official statement reads as follows:
"The Rakes have always been very adamant and proud of the fact that we give 100 per cent to every gig we've ever played.
"If we can't give it everything then we won't do it. That was the rule we set ourselves from day one. After much deliberation we have come to the shared conclusion that we can't give it 100 per cent any more and regret to announce that The Rakes are calling it a day.
"Writing your own obituary is a surreal thing to do.. But we want to give particular thanks to our much-loved fans, all the great people we've worked with over the years, our management and loyal record label.
"We feel privileged to have had the opportunity to write music together and perform around the world. Genuinely, thanks for the good times... that was one hell of a party! But now, we really must get some sleep."