Americana / alt-country band American Aquarium are saying goodbye to two of the group's members, guitarists Ryan Johnson and Colin DiMeo. The two are departing to "pursue other ventures," but frontman BJ Barham insists that there's "no ill will" -- and says the band will be headed into the studio later this year.

On Jan. 12, Barham used Instagram to celebrate his departing bandmates and drop a hint that new American Aquarium music is in the works, just with a slightly different lineup.

"American Aquarium has had 26 members since 2006, but this current Wolves lineup is probably the one that you're most familiar with," Barham says in his post (Wolves is AA's most recent album). "This incarnation of the band has been the same since the spring of 2014 and has been the most successfully and musically progressive version of the band to date."

DiMeo and Johnson's last show with American Aquarium will take place on Feb. 4, at the Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh, N.C.; the band has a number of dates on their tour calendar between now and then.

"There is ... no bad blood," Barham adds. "We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors and hope you will too."

Barham assures fans, too, that this is not the end of American Aquarium.

"The band will be moving forward with a new guitarist and entering the studio to record our seventh full-length studio album this spring / summer," he notes. "We love you guys, and thank you for support as we move into this next chapter of American Aquarium."

Since their inception, American Aquarium have drawn from a wide range of musical influences and built a following across the U.S. thanks to their unique sound and electric live shows. Wolves, released in 2015, was one of The Boot’s top Americana, alt-country and folk albums of that year, and many have dubbed the group one of the hardest-working bands in music based on the fact that they tour almost nonstop.

Barham recently told The Boot that he and his bandmates have no intention of slowing down their touring schedule; for a full list of upcoming American Aquarium shows, visit the band's official website.

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