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The Constantines Reunite for Summer Tour

constantines, reunion, shine a light reissue

The Constantines are getting the band back together. The Canadian indie-rock crew — who formed in 1999, released four albums, and called it quits in 2010 — have posted a long note on their just-established blog, announcing that they’ll be playing some reunion shows this summer and are also planning a reissue of their much-loved sophomore effort, 2003’s Shine a Light, to celebrate the record’s 11th anniversary.

“Timing has never been the Cons’ greatest strength,” the statement reads, “and as we watched the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of Shine a Light pass by, we joked together, saying, ‘well, maybe we’ll do something for the 11th…'”

Details on the upcoming reissue and tour have not yet been revealed, but the note (which bears the initials of lead singer Bryan Webb), does offer some insight on the group’s breakup and reconciliation.

“We each had to figure some shit out on our own,” writes Webb, who released his debut solo album, Provider, in 2011. “The six months after the Cons stopped playing was one of the most fucked up periods in my life. I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t really know how to play music outside of the Constantines. We had learned to be musicians together. There were no real goodbyes, but there was a complicated mourning process, figuring out that there were other things to devote oneself to. Trying to write a resume was a nightmare. Life went on.”

He continues: “There is too much love and too much life in this music for it to only exist in the past. We’re happy to announce that the Constantines — Will Kidman, Steve Lambke, Doug MacGregor, Bry Webb and Dallas Wehrle — will be playing some shows this summer, leading up to the 11th Anniversary Reissue of Shine a Light… Your kind words have meant a lot to all of us, and we look forward to seeing you again.”

Read the full message at the Constantines’ blog, where you’ll also find old photos of the band and a couple of SoundCloud streams, including a live version of Shine a Light closer “Sub-Domestic,” recorded in May of 2004, and also included below.