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The Flaming Lips have announced The Teardrop Throbs, their follow-up to 2020’s American Head, due Jan. 22 on Jack White’s Third Man Records. It is the band’s first album without Steven Drozd since 1992; the announcement includes the lead single “God Will Control The Werewolves” and a 13-song tracklist.
The Flaming Lips have announced The Teardrop Throbs, a 13-track album due Jan. 22 on Jack White’s Third Man Records. The follow-up to 2020’s American Head is the band’s first album without longtime member Steven Drozd since 1992, and the group released its lead single, “God Will Control The Werewolves,” with the announcement.
The release marks a change in both the band’s lineup and its record label. According to the announcement reported by Stereogum, The Teardrop Throbs will be the Lips’ first album on Third Man and their first not released by Warner since In A Priest Driven Ambulance, which came out in 1990. The album’s listed release date is Jan. 22.
“God Will Control The Werewolves” is credited to Wayne Coyne, Matthew Kirksey, Derek Brown and Taylor Johnson. Johnson co-produced the album with Dave Fridmann and Scott Booker; Jon Fridmann and Mike Fridmann also received production credits. Stereogum describes the single as a psych-pop ballad with prominent strings and fuzzed guitar.
The tracklist includes “Throb,” “Titan,” “Every Teardrop Cried” and “Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell Part Two,” as well as the longer-titled “Instructions On How To Draw An Eyeball or How To Deal With A Loved One Who Is Addicted To Drugs.” The announcement also lists upcoming shows in Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London, running from Jan. 22 to April 3.
A New Lineup and Label
The album gives listeners the first studio-length indication of how the Flaming Lips will sound after Drozd’s departure. Drozd joined in 1991 as a drummer and became a multi-instrumentalist and a key contributor alongside founder and frontman Wayne Coyne. His absence is a substantial personnel change for a band whose recorded sound has been shaped by their long collaboration.
The move to Third Man is another clear break from the group’s recent release history. The combination of a new label, a new album and the first Drozd-free lineup in decades makes this more than a routine follow-up to American Head. The single and full tracklist offer an initial preview, but they do not establish how the album as a whole will differ.
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Drozd’s Departure and the Gap
The Teardrop Throbs follows American Head, released in 2020. Drozd’s departure took place in 2024, and accounts of how it happened have differed. Coyne has said Drozd quit; Drozd has said he was fired after he left for addiction treatment and the band continued its activities without him.
In an interview with Stereogum this year, Drozd described his version: “I went back to treatment. And he just stopped talking to me. That was it. That was me basically being fired from the group.” He also acknowledged that he had missed upcoming shows while in treatment. The disagreement remains part of the background to the first album made without him, rather than a question resolved by this announcement.
““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, describing the inspiration for “God Will Control The Werewolves”
Release Details Still Pending
The announcement supplies a Jan. 22 release date, but the source material does not specify the year. It also does not include a confirmed album length, formats, or further details about the recording process. The listed touring dates have no year attached in the supplied material, so their calendar placement should not be inferred from the month and day alone.
The circumstances of Drozd’s exit remain disputed: Coyne and Drozd have given different accounts. The album announcement does not address that disagreement, and it does not identify whether Drozd contributed to any of the recordings. Beyond the lead single and production credits, details of the other tracks are not provided.
Single, Album and Tour Dates
“God Will Control The Werewolves” is available as the album’s lead single, and The Teardrop Throbs is listed for release Jan. 22 on Third Man Records. The tracklist names 13 songs, including “Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell Part Two.”
The announced itinerary lists two nights each in Nashville, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, followed by two London dates in April. The supplied announcement gives venues and dates but not the years for those shows. Further release and touring information may clarify those details.
Key Questions
When is The Teardrop Throbs due out?
The album is listed for release on Jan. 22. The supplied source does not state the year.
What is the album’s lead single?
The lead single is “God Will Control The Werewolves.” Wayne Coyne said its lyrics were inspired by playing hide-and-seek with his sons as it grew dark.
Is Steven Drozd on the new album?
The announcement identifies The Teardrop Throbs as the Flaming Lips’ first album without Drozd since 1992. It does not say whether he contributed to any recordings.
Which label is releasing the album?
Third Man Records, the label founded by Jack White, is set to release the album. The announcement describes it as the band’s first album not released by Warner since 1990.
What is known about the tour?
The listed dates include shows in Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London. The source provides dates and venues but does not specify the years.
Source: rss
