The Black Keys address U.S. tour cancellation

The Black Keys have explained why they have cancelled the North American leg of their tour.

The duo - made up of Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach - quietly cancelled the 31-date North American leg of their International Players Tour, which was scheduled to kick off in Tulsa, Oklahoma on 17 September.

After the cancellation hit headlines over the weekend, the musicians took to Instagram to explain the reason behind the decision.

"The band wants to assure everyone that Dan & Patrick are alive and well," they wrote on Sunday.

While they didn't address reports of low ticket sales, they indicated that they would be swapping arenas for more intimate venues.

They continued, "Following the recent run of shows in the UK & Europe, including stops at iconic venues like Brixton Academy and the Zenith in Paris, we have decided to make some changes to the North American leg of the International Players Tour that will enable us to offer a similarly exciting, intimate experience for both fans and the band, and will be announcing a revised set of dates shortly."

They told ticketholders that their purchases would be fully refunded and they would be the first in line when the new dates go on sale.

"Thank you for your understanding and apologies for the surprise change," they concluded their post. "We're pretty sure everyone is going to be excited when you see what we have in mind though, and look forward to seeing everyone soon."

The pair recently completed the European leg of their tour in mid-May.