The Decemberists have announced they will be canceling or postponing a number of their upcoming shows, including this week’s planned appearance at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and at Mountain Jam this weekend, due to lead singer Colin Meloy’s continued issue with vocal strain and voice loss.

“I have a heavy, heavy heart writing this,” Meloy writes on the band’s Facebook page. “Because of my voice loss, we’ve been forced to cancel or reschedule the next five shows of this tour. I’m so, so sorry to those of you who were attending concerts we were unable to reschedule. I know how much it sucks to have a show cancel on you. I don’t know what to say other than: we’ll return to your area in the future, and we’ll put on a great show.”

The singer goes on to call the situation “the stuff of a singer’s nightmare,” detailing how his condition has been bothering him for several shows, and lament that he cannot sing at the upcoming performances. “I’m gonna get better,” he closes, “and I’ll be out there braying away in no time.”

The Decemberists have canceled tomorrow’s show in Red Bank, NJ, along with their slot at Mountain Jam this weekend, while their gig in Brooklyn has been rescheduled for August 14. The band has also rescheduled their show at North Adams, MA’s MASS MoCA for October 4. Refunds are available at point of purchase, and tickets for the rescheduled shows will be honored at the new dates.

M. Ward, who was set to open the shows in Red Bank and Brooklyn, has added two headlining shows of his own, tomorrow in Providence, RI, and June 13 at Brooklyn’s Bell House.