Rainbow Kitten Surprise, the popular indie/alternative rock band from Boone, NC, announced on Tuesday that it has canceled all of its remaining 2023 tour dates and festival appearances and is going on hiatus due to a “medical crisis” facing an unspecified member of the group.

The band had previously canceled a pair of upcoming shows, including a slot at this past weekend’s Hangout Music Festival. In a lengthy announcement note on social media, the group explained that “we are not going to put a timeline on our return,” but also noted that “we are hopeful that one day soon Rainbow Kitten Surprise can return in full glory and pick up where we left off.”

Where the band left off was in the midst of a busy year on the road. Rainbow Kitten Surprise—comprised of Ela Melo (lead vocals), Darrick “Bozzy” Keller (guitar, backup vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (electric guitar), Jess Haney (drums), and Charlie Holt (bass)—recently completed an overseas tour stopping in Africa and Europe. Next month, the band was due to begin a major U.S. tour that would have taken them across the country from June through November with headlining shows at notable venues including Morrison, CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Berkeley, CA and Los Angeles, CA’s Greek Theatres, New York, NY’s Radio City Music Hall, Austin, TX’s Moody Amphitheater, and many more.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise was also a top-billed act at a number of major 2023 music festivals including Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Suwannee Hulaween, Ohana Festival, and more. These events will announce their contingency plans once they are confirmed.

Read the full message from Rainbow Kitten Surprise on the cancellation of the its 2023 tour dates, the reason behind the decision to take a hiatus, and the future of the band. Our thoughts are with the whole RKS family during this difficult time.

Our band has come to the decision to put our health as our only priority right now. One of our members is in a medical crisis. To make sure they have the time to get the proper treatment, we have decided to take down the entire year of shows and turn off the lights for now. We do not make this decision lightly, and we know that it will result in a lot of disappointment and concern, but we are a family, and we know that the most important thing we can do right now is to help get everyone healthy.

We are not going to put a timeline on our return. We have learned the hard way that treating illness during breaks in a band’s schedule isn’t always effective. We will return when we are sure that our dear friend and collaborator is in good health and that we can confidently and consistently show up for you the way you have always shown up for us.

We want to acknowledge that we have the best and most passionate fans. All of us are extremely aware that many of our fans are personally impacted by our music and we do not take this passion lightly. We see you. We hear you.

We know how confusing it must be for you to watch RKS go from an amazing and happy tour of Europe to cancelled shows six weeks later. We read every one of your posts and validate that your pain and frustrations are real.

We have asked our promoters and their ticketing partners to refund your ticket purchases to our headline shows. You should be getting communication from them in the upcoming weeks.

We are hopeful that one day soon Rainbow Kitten Surprise can return in full glory and pick up where we left off. We know not to take your enthusiasm for our music for granted. So, for now, we bid you farewell and when we meet again soon, we hope that you will give us another chance.