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
January 17, 2025 @ 7:11 pm
Damn. Just when I was getting interested in where they were going with the new alt-country sound. It was actually starting to come together nicely with Revelations.
January 17, 2025 @ 8:14 pm
Never saw them live
Ironically they’ll be at a small venue that I can walk to in March.
First time will be the last time.
January 18, 2025 @ 7:40 am
Enjoy. Great live show.
January 17, 2025 @ 8:33 pm
River Shook prefers they/them, not she/her. Their identifying as non-binary and name change is another reason for no longer playing under that name.
January 18, 2025 @ 9:44 am
That is nice for her.
January 21, 2025 @ 10:03 am
why is that the dumbest are always the most hateful ck?
January 21, 2025 @ 11:47 am
That is a question you should ask yourself.
There are only two genders. Everyone with a brain cell knows that.
January 24, 2025 @ 5:42 am
You’re a real fucking jackass.
.
January 27, 2025 @ 3:31 pm
It costs you nothing to treat others with kindness and respect, and yet you choose to be an asshole. Have you given any thought to why you enjoy hurting others?
January 17, 2025 @ 8:46 pm
I’ve see her many times with many different lineups. Always a great show. I know some people are not fans of her vocal. I have always appreciated her delivery. I also know some people where it took a while and then kicks her n. I get it. It probably has held her back a bit. I will say she is a top notch talented songwriter and the music and bands always delivered. Eric was an awesome player with his own style. I thought the replacement was pretty damn good too. Been a fan for a long time and really a bit blue about it. I may have to take a road trip. My wife is a big fan as well.
January 18, 2025 @ 4:41 am
Didn’t she have beef with you trig? To be honest her music has never been good. It was different so that’s something I guess.
January 18, 2025 @ 8:16 am
At one point River did take issue with the way I gave credit to the ex-boyfriend and original Disarmers drummer John Howie Jr. for the rise of the band. Basically I accidentally stuck my nose into some big relationship drama. But as far as I know, it was more of a big misunderstanding and everything’s cool now.
January 18, 2025 @ 4:43 am
Sounds like with the drummer quitting, there are no longer any original band members, so it’s more of a formality of just dropping the Disarmers name. Do I have that right? I haven’t totally kept up with the lineup changes.
January 18, 2025 @ 5:32 am
I don’t believe he was the original drummer, just the longest serving in the current line-up.
January 18, 2025 @ 8:43 am
Pretty sure John Howie Jr. was the original drummer
January 18, 2025 @ 5:48 am
They said that the drummer was the senior member in the current lineup, having been with them for 3 years. Not an original member, as the band’s first album came out in 2015. Sounds like the unlikely prospect of Eric Peterson ever coming back to the band was the major reason. I think the drummer leaving made it clear to them that the time was right to close this chapter.
January 18, 2025 @ 8:17 am
I’m not sure about that. River is saying this will start a new direction. We’ll have to see what that means.
January 18, 2025 @ 4:57 am
That’s a shame. Good band. The LGBT identity politics in band interviews are a bit off putting, but they’re absent from most of the actual songs, which well written with good hooks. I saw Nicolette and the Nobodies open for Sarah Shook and the Disarmers last year in Pittsburgh and it was a great show.
It seems to me like alt-country, cowpunk and those sorts of genres are on the wane at the moment, along with lots of forms of rock music. It’s a bummer.
January 18, 2025 @ 7:21 am
What a run from Sidelong, Sidelong (major re-lease), and to undisputed SCM AOY, Years. We saw them 3x during that run. The last time was in Morgantown at 123 Pleasant Street and Charles Wesley Godwin was the opener that night. We got to hang out with River (at the time Sarah) after that show and she said she was coming to our wedding, but she didn’t.
A slight artistic change in their music and a flooded market of shows led to us regretfully skipping them the last few times when they were passing through, but we’ll definitely see them in March.
January 18, 2025 @ 9:06 am
I’ve seen them several times and it was always a good show. River also would hang out after the show which was fun. I’m looking forward to what’s next for them.
January 18, 2025 @ 3:30 pm
I liked Sidelong a lot and Years was in heavy rotation for, well, years. Anything after that hasn’t grabbed my attention nearly as much but I’ve still always wanted to catch a live show. Lo and behold there will be 4 within somewhat reasonable driving distance.
January 18, 2025 @ 4:27 pm
Those first two albums will always remain legendary. Last year’s album was solid, but the fire which made them a band with that elusive unique something-else at their peak fizzled out after Years. From that perspective maybe disbanding is the right thing to do, though you can’t help regretting that that initial momentum couldn’t have lasted longer.
January 18, 2025 @ 11:40 pm
she is the entire reason I likes to make love when I’m smokin’
(even though i still unfortunately do not sing just like Dwight Yoakam)
January 19, 2025 @ 6:54 am
Very excited to see where this next chapter takes them and so happy they are finding themselves, even despite working amongst people perpetuating an awful discriminatory hellscape, for instance by intentionally misgendering others.
January 20, 2025 @ 1:52 pm
This lost at the ballot box
January 21, 2025 @ 7:41 am
No one cares to hear your blabbering, Bob. Go have fun with the POTUS who just took a massive shit on the police.
January 21, 2025 @ 11:49 am
Pardoning innocent people free is not shitting on the police. Besides, your side hates the police.
January 21, 2025 @ 12:00 pm
you’ll have to excuse ck adam. he’s still riding high from those sieg heils yesterday.
January 21, 2025 @ 12:14 pm
That’s a damn lie, CK, just like everything that comes out of your Orange Hitler’s mouth.
January 21, 2025 @ 12:25 pm
Keep whining, Adam.
America is back. Enjoy the Golden Age. Go cruise the Gulf of America!
January 21, 2025 @ 12:50 pm
And further comments not about the disbanding of Sarah Shook and the Disarmers will be immediately deleted.
January 21, 2025 @ 12:38 pm
he’s been in office for a day and it’s “the golden age”… y’all in a cult.
January 21, 2025 @ 12:49 pm
And further comments not about the disbanding of Sarah Shook and the Disarmers will be immediately deleted.
January 19, 2025 @ 9:18 am
Man it really sucks about Eric. He was one of the great guitar players. Really important to the sound coming out of Chapel Hill/Chatham County. Good dude too.
January 19, 2025 @ 3:42 pm
I like River a lot, and I’ll always go find them if we’re doing the same festival. Curious about the new musical direction. Always found the disarmers a bit boring musically. Silverada delivered what I always wanted punk country to be- hard sitting through the rest now.
February 7, 2025 @ 2:20 pm
She has a side project called Mightmare. Might see if that resonates with you. Not country.
January 19, 2025 @ 9:49 pm
Saw her a few years ago and the tore the roof off the place. Hope to get that chance again. Very talented.
January 20, 2025 @ 11:26 am
Hope to see her back on the road one of these days… Only had one opportunity to see the band and i regrettably passed on it for a number of reasons.
January 22, 2025 @ 6:02 pm
Saw her twice both times great shows. And she was cool with the fans afterward. Personally I think Sidelong was her best record. Wish them all the best.
PS. Last time I saw them was at the Southgate House Sept of 2023. She had this young kid on pedal steel I thought he rocked it. Forgot his name.
January 23, 2025 @ 1:06 pm
Seven -> Sidelong -> Years is a fun trip, kinda lost me after that, sonically, even if the songwriting still landed. Eric was a skilled and seasoned dude, not a lot of bands come back from a loss like that. I don’t social media enough to know if the sobriety stuck for River, but I wish them all the best of everything, that’s a great unique voice and I enjoyed every single word tracked.