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The Flaming Lips announced The Teardrop Throbs, their first studio album since 2020’s American Head and their first without Steven Drozd since 1992. The 13-track album is scheduled for release Jan. 22 on Third Man Records, and the band released lead single “God Will Control The Werewolves.”
The Flaming Lips have announced The Teardrop Throbs, a 13-track album scheduled for release Jan. 22 on Third Man Records. It is the band’s first studio album since 2020’s American Head and their first without longtime member Steven Drozd since 1992; the group also released the lead single, “God Will Control The Werewolves.”
The album marks a change in both the band’s lineup and its record label. According to the announcement reported by Stereogum, it is the Flaming Lips’ first release on Third Man Records, the label founded by Jack White, and their first album since 1990’s In A Priest Driven Ambulance not released by Warner. The group’s previous studio album, American Head, came out in 2020.
“God Will Control The Werewolves” is the first track released from the record. The report describes it as a psych-pop ballad featuring soaring strings and fuzzed-out lead guitar. Wayne Coyne, Matthew Kirksey, Derek Brown and Taylor Johnson are credited as songwriters. Johnson co-produced the album with Dave Fridmann and Scott Booker; Jon Fridmann and Mike Fridmann also contributed production.
The tracklist has 13 songs, including “Throb,” “Titan” and “A Sunset Far Away.” It also features “Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell Part Two,” a title that recalls the band’s earlier song “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell,” and “Instructions On How To Draw An Eyeball or How To Deal With A Loved One Who Is Addicted To Drugs.” The supplied announcement lists the album’s release date as Jan. 22.
A New Lineup and Label
The album is a major recording change for a band whose sound was shaped for decades by Drozd’s work alongside founder and frontman Wayne Coyne. Drozd joined in 1991 as a drummer and became a multi-instrumentalist and an important contributor to the group’s music. His absence makes this the band’s first album without a central member in more than 30 years.
The move to Third Man also shifts the band’s label arrangement. The release is described as the Flaming Lips’ first album on an independent label since their early-1990s Warner period began. The record will show how the current lineup sounds on a full-length studio release, but the announcement alone does not establish how the band’s music or working relationships have changed.
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Drozd’s Departure and the Gap
The Teardrop Throbs follows a gap of several years after American Head. It is also the group’s first studio album since Drozd’s departure in 2024. The circumstances remain disputed: Coyne has said Drozd quit, while Drozd has said he was fired.
In a Stereogum interview this year, Drozd described leaving for addiction treatment and said Coyne continued band activities without him. “That was me basically being fired from the group,” Drozd said, while acknowledging that he did not play scheduled shows after going to treatment. Drozd has been working on a solo debut album, according to the report. The new album’s title and several track names touch on subjects including addiction, but the announcement does not explain the songs’ full themes.
““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, as quoted in the album announcement
Details Still to Be Confirmed
The supplied announcement does not provide the album’s full recording history, explain how songwriting and performance duties were divided across all 13 tracks, or clarify the circumstances behind the label change. The release date is given as Jan. 22, but the source material does not state a year. It also does not provide information on formats, pricing or whether additional singles will be released before the album.
The circumstances of Drozd’s departure remain contested: Coyne and Drozd have given differing accounts, and the album announcement does not resolve that dispute. No further comment from either man on the disagreement is included in the supplied material.
Album Release and Tour Dates
The Teardrop Throbs is scheduled to arrive on Third Man Records on Jan. 22. The announced tour dates begin that day with a show at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, followed by another Nashville date on Jan. 23. The schedule then lists performances in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago in February, and two London shows in April.
The release of “God Will Control The Werewolves” gives listeners an early look at the album, while the remaining tracks are still to come. The supplied report does not specify when another single might be released or whether the band will announce additional tour dates.
Key Questions
When is The Teardrop Throbs coming out?
The album is scheduled for Jan. 22 on Third Man Records. The supplied announcement does not state the year.
What is the Flaming Lips’ new single?
The lead single is “God Will Control The Werewolves.” Wayne Coyne said its story was inspired by playing hide and seek with his sons as it got dark.
Is Steven Drozd on the album?
The announcement describes it as the Flaming Lips’ first album without Drozd since 1992. Drozd left the band in 2024; the supplied report does not detail the album’s individual performance credits.
Why is this album a change for the band?
It is the group’s first studio album since American Head in 2020, its first without longtime member Steven Drozd in more than three decades, and its first release on Third Man Records.
What tour dates have been announced?
The listed dates include Nashville on Jan. 22–23, New York on Jan. 26–27, Los Angeles on Feb. 23–24, Chicago on Feb. 27–28, and London on April 2–3. The source does not specify the year for these dates.
Source: stereogum.com
