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The Flaming Lips have announced The Teardrop Throbs, their follow-up to 2020’s American Head, with a January 22 release planned on Third Man Records. It is the band’s first album without longtime member Steven Drozd since 1992; the group also released lead single “God Will Control The Werewolves.”
The Flaming Lips have announced The Teardrop Throbs, a new album scheduled for January 22 on Jack White’s Third Man Records, and released its lead single, “God Will Control The Werewolves.” The record is the band’s first studio album since 2020’s American Head and its first without longtime member Steven Drozd since 1992’s Hit To Death In The Future Head.
The album marks two changes in the band’s recording history. It is the Flaming Lips’ first release on Third Man Records, rather than Warner, since 1990’s In A Priest Driven Ambulance, according to the announcement reported by Stereogum. It also follows Drozd’s departure in 2024, after he had been part of the group for more than three decades.
“God Will Control The Werewolves” is the album’s lead single. The track credits Wayne Coyne, Matthew Kirksey, Derek Brown and Taylor Johnson as songwriters. Johnson co-produced the album with Dave Fridmann and Scott Booker; Jon Fridmann and Mike Fridmann also receive additional production credits. Stereogum describes the song as a psychedelic pop ballad, with strings and fuzzed-out guitar.
The announced 13-track sequence includes “Throb,” “Titan,” “Every Teardrop Cried” and “Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell Part Two.” The band has also listed shows in Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London, beginning January 22. The schedule places the first Nashville dates on the album’s announced release day.
A New Album Without Steven Drozd
The release puts the Flaming Lips’ post-Drozd lineup on record for the first time since his departure. Drozd was a key musical contributor, first joining as a drummer in 1991 and later taking on multiple instruments. His long collaboration with Coyne helped shape the band’s sound, making this album a significant change in the group’s personnel as well as its label.
The label move is another notable shift. The band’s first album for Third Man Records ends a long period of Warner releases, while the new single offers listeners an early indication of the music the current lineup has made. The announcement does not, by itself, establish how the album will differ from earlier work or how the change will affect the band’s future.
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Drozd’s Departure and the Album Gap
The Teardrop Throbs follows American Head, released in 2020. Drozd left the band in 2024 amid conflicting accounts of how his time with the group ended. Coyne said Drozd quit; Drozd has said he was fired after going to addiction treatment and missing upcoming shows. Those accounts remain disputed and should not be treated as a settled explanation.
In a Stereogum interview earlier this year, Drozd said Coyne stopped speaking with him while he was in treatment and described that as being fired. He has also been working on a solo debut album, according to the report. The Flaming Lips’ announcement introduces the band’s next studio release but does not address the disagreement over Drozd’s departure.
““God Will Control the Werewolves” started as a little story about my 2 boys (Bloom and Rex) and me playing hide and seek at the park as it was getting dark outside.”
— Wayne Coyne, in a statement about the single
Open Questions About the Lineup
The announcement and report do not provide a complete account of the sessions or identify every musician who performed on the album. They also do not explain how the band will handle the songs live, beyond listing tour dates. The disagreement between Coyne and Drozd over whether Drozd quit or was fired remains unresolved in the available material.
The release is scheduled for January 22, but the supplied announcement does not specify a year. It also does not provide details about physical formats, other release editions or whether additional singles will arrive before the album. Those points should not be assumed from the tracklist or tour schedule.
Release and Tour Dates Ahead
The next confirmed milestone is the album’s scheduled release on January 22 through Third Man Records. The listed tour begins with two Nashville shows on January 22 and 23, followed by dates in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, then London in April. The source does not give a year for the listed dates, so the schedule’s calendar year is not specified here.
Listeners can hear “God Will Control The Werewolves” ahead of the album. Further information about preorders, editions, additional music or any changes to the tour schedule has not been included in the supplied report.
Key Questions
When is The Teardrop Throbs scheduled to be released?
The album is scheduled for January 22 on Third Man Records. The source material does not specify the year.
Is this the Flaming Lips’ first album without Steven Drozd?
It is their first album without Drozd since Hit To Death In The Future Head, released in 1992, according to the report. Drozd left the band in 2024.
What is the album’s lead single?
The lead single is “God Will Control The Werewolves.” Wayne Coyne said its lyrics began with a story inspired by playing hide and seek with his sons under a full moon.
Who produced the album?
Taylor Johnson co-produced The Teardrop Throbs with Dave Fridmann and Scott Booker. Jon Fridmann and Mike Fridmann are credited with additional production.
Why did Steven Drozd leave the band?
The accounts conflict. Wayne Coyne said Drozd quit, while Drozd told Stereogum he was effectively fired after going to addiction treatment and missing upcoming shows. The available report does not resolve the disagreement.
Source: stereogum.com
