MS MR, the once buzzy alt-pop duo of Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenow, have not been active since announcing a hiatus in 2017. And today, a decade plus a few months removed from the release of their debut album Secondhand Rapture, they are officially breaking up.

“With an enormous amount of gratitude, we’re ready to move on from the MS MR project – we’ve each developed into new people with expanded ambitions, interests and tastes,” they wrote in a statement. “But we’re excited and committed to continuing to be a part of one another’s personal and creative lives.”

They’re sharing two tracks to coincide with their breakup: a new song called “Saturn Return” and a cover of Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta.”

“In celebration of the 10 year anniversary of Secondhand Rapture, we initially intended to rework something from that record or an old demo from that era,” they said of the original. “But as we started working, we found ourselves caught up in the joy of reuniting as friends, reveling in the opportunity to share how much we had grown as individuals and artists, and finding an even greater appreciation for what we had created and achieved during our heyday.”

“To be honest, ‘Flagpole Sitta,’ was a pretty spontaneous choice,” they said of their cover. “Lizzy found herself consistently returning to it during the pandemic for its lyrical narrative and nostalgia, but it was Max who quickly realized that its melodies, harmonies, and lyrics all felt like something we might have written. It was wildly fun to make, as evident in its bombast and energy, and it feels right to end our time as a band with a cover, just like we playfully began!”

Listen to both below.

Plapinger and Hershenow started MS MR in 2010 after graudating from Vassar College. After a string of demos that made some blog waves, they released their debut EP Candy Bar Creep Show in 2012. Their two full-length albums, 2013’s Secondhand Rapture and 2015’s How Does It Feel, both came out on Columbia Records. They announced a hiatus in 2017, and both members have solo projects: Plapinger’s LPX and Hershenow’s alexmaax.