Pop-rock favourites Good Charlotte have announced plans to 'step away from the grind' for a while. 

The band, who formed back in 1996 and have enjoyed incredible commercial success, revealed to the Rolling Stone magazine that an unofficial hiatus is finally on the cards:

"We're stepping away from the grind of making records and touring for a minute, just to have fun and be creative like we were when we were 15. We're already having a blast in our studio with all these new artists making music just for fun."

The Madden twins, who front the popular 'Boys And Girls' outfit, added that they will release a free mixtape, 'Before The Fame: The Madden Brothers', later this year to keep their devoted fans happy:

"And the mix tape's free, they're going to get it for free, there's no quota we're trying to fill, there's no machine we're trying to fuel, we just want to make music with new artists and god bless EMI, they let us do what we want."

The band's last release was their 'Greatest Hits' record and you can watch them talk about the trials and tribulations of life on the road, in which they agree that it's getting harder now they have families and other important commitments, here: