the band are to split after 16 years so singer Tom Chaplin can make a solo album and main songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley can focus on penning hits for other artists. However, at present the band's official line is more cautious. "Keane are taking a break after the 'Best Of' to pursue their own projects," a spokesman for the band told the newspaper. Keane formed in 1997 and have seen each of their four studio albums - 2004's 'Hopes And Fears', 2006's 'Under The Iron Sea', 2008's 'Perfect Symmetry' and last year's 'Strangeland' - make Number One on the UK's Official Albums Chart. The band have won an Ivor Novello and two Brit Awards and and Rice-Oxley has co-written songs with Gwen Stefani and Kylie Minogue.NME
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