Sarah Shook & The Disarmers to Officially Disband, Play Final Tour


Since 2015, Sarah Shook and the Disarmers have been one of the preeminent bands in the underground country punk space, putting out albums that consistently feature River Shook’s incisive songwriting matched with infectious melodies.

From North Carolina, Shook started the band with guitarist Eric Peterson, and they went on to be signed with Bloodshot Records, and later Thirty Tigers, and had Pete Anderson produce the band’s 2022 album Nightroamer. Sarah Shook and the Disarmers won the Saving Country Music Album of the Year in 2018 for the album Years.

But ever since Eric Peterson took a leave of absence from the band in 2022 to deal with right arm issues, the lineup for Sarah Shook and the Disarmers has been rather frenetic. On Friday (1-17), River Shook announced that she is officially disbanding The Disarmers after the currently-announced tour to pursue a new direction in the music business, citing Eric Peterson’s inability to return to the band as one of the primary reasons.

“We kept touring and making multiple records, with the idea being that procedures would eventually allow him to rejoin the band. Unfortunately, the surgeries did not fully restore Eric’s ability to play the guitar. This is really difficult news to accept, and it isn’t what we were expecting. It isn’t what we were hoping for,” Shook explains.

Shook goes on to acknowledge the multiple lineup changes over the last three years, and how that’s been hard for both Shook and fans to keep up with. As Shook explains, drummer Jack Foster now leaving the band as the longest current member sealed the deal that The Disarmers name needed to be retired, especially after Shook has gone through many of her own personal transformations.

“So with Eric’s blessing, I have officially decided to disband The Disarmers on June 28th, and radically restructure my future in the music industry,” Shook says.

June 28th happens to be when Sarah Shook and the Disarmers are scheduled to play The Jackalope Jamboree in Pendleton, OR. This will be the band’s final show after playing the rest of the scheduled dates as a farewell tour.

“I want my career to reflect my evolution as an artist and as a human being,” River says. “I’ve taken this band as far as I can, and it’s time for me to start a brand new chapter in my career. Please hear me when I say there isn’t a single aspect of this that I take lightly. Clear as day, this is the moment for making big moves.”


Sarah Shook & The Disarmers Farewell Tour


18 Feb – Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC

19 Feb – Blue Jay Listening Room – Jacksonville Beach, FL

20 Feb – Fogartyville Community Media Arts Center – Sarasota, FL

22 Feb – Sirius/XM Outlaw Country Cruise 2025 – Miami, FL

22 Mar – Songbyrd Music House – Washington, DC

23 Mar – Thunderbird Café & Music Hall – Pittsburgh, PA

24 Mar – The Winchester – Lakewood, OH

25 Mar – The Magic Bag – Ferndale, MI

26 Mar – The Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI

27 Mar – Cactus Club – Milwaukee, WI

28 Mar – Fitzgerald’s – Berwyn, IL

29 Mar – Turntable – Indianapolis, IN

30 Mar – Whiskey City’s Liberty Theater – Lawrenceburg, IN

10 Apr – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen – London, United Kingdom

11 Apr – Exchange – Bristol, United Kingdom

12 Apr – The Waterfront – Norwich, United Kingdom

13 Apr – The Lodge – Manchester, United Kingdom

14 Apr – The Hug and Pint – Glasgow, United Kingdom

15 Apr – The Angel Microbrewery – Nottingham, United Kingdom

17 Apr – De Casino – Sint-niklaas, Belgium

18 Apr – Vera – Groningen, Netherlands

19 Apr – Paaspop 2025 – Schijndel, Netherlands

20 Apr – Rotown Rotterdam – Rotterdam, Netherlands

22 Apr – jugend- und bürgerzentrum werden – Essen, Germany

23 Apr – Tøjhuset – Fredericia, Denmark

24 Apr – Kulturhuset Pavillonen Grenaa – Grenaa, Denmark

25 Apr – Posten – Odense C, Denmark

26 Apr – Spillestedet BETA – København, Denmark

27 Apr – Biljardkompaniet – Kristianstad, Sweden

29 Apr – Debaser Hornstulls Strand – Stockholm, Sweden

30 Apr – John Dee – Oslo, Norway

01 May – Schreibers Garage – Örebro, Sweden

02 May – Rootsy Live Falkenberg – Falkenberg, Sweden

03 May – Pustervik – Göteborg, Sweden

04 May – Plan B – Malmö, Sweden

27 Jun – Jackalope Jamboree 2025 – Pendleton, OR

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