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The Flaming Lips have announced The Teardrop Throbs, due Jan. 22 on Jack White’s Third Man Records, and released its lead single, “God Will Control The Werewolves.” It is the band’s first album since 2020’s American Head and its first without Steven Drozd since 1992; the circumstances of Drozd’s 2024 departure remain disputed.
The Flaming Lips have announced The Teardrop Throbs, a 13-track album due January 22 on Third Man Records, and released its lead single, “God Will Control The Werewolves.” The record is the band’s first since 2020’s American Head and its first without longtime member Steven Drozd since 1992, marking a major lineup change for the group.
The album is the Flaming Lips’ first release for Third Man Records, the label founded by Jack White. According to the announcement reported by Stereogum, it is also their first album since In A Priest Driven Ambulance in 1990 not to be released by Warner. The band’s 13-song tracklist includes “Throb,” “Titan,” “Every Teardrop Cried,” and “A Sunset Far Away.”
“God Will Control The Werewolves” is the record’s lead single. The song credits Wayne Coyne, Matthew Kirksey, Derek Brown and Taylor Johnson as writers. 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 psych-pop ballad, with strings and fuzzed-out lead guitar.
The tracklist also includes “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.” The announcement lists tour dates in Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London, beginning Jan. 22. The listed dates include multiple nights in several cities.
A New Album Without Steven Drozd
The record puts the Flaming Lips’ next studio chapter on record without Steven Drozd, a multi-instrumentalist who helped shape the band’s sound for decades. Drozd joined as a drummer in 1991 and became a key musical collaborator with founder and frontman Wayne Coyne. The album’s release will give listeners their first full-length studio collection from the group since his departure.
The change is paired with a new label relationship. Releasing the album through Third Man Records ends the group’s long association with Warner for an album, according to the source report. Together, the lineup and label changes make the announcement a substantial shift for a band whose recent studio output has been separated by several years.
The single offers an early indication of the album’s sound, but one track cannot establish the character of all 13 songs. The available announcement confirms the title, release date, credits and tracklist; it does not provide a full account of how the band’s musical roles changed after Drozd left.
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Drozd’s Departure and the Album Gap
The Teardrop Throbs follows American Head, released in 2020. Drozd’s departure came in 2024, after more than three decades with the band. His work developed from drumming into a broader multi-instrumental role, and the source report identifies him as an important musical partner to Coyne.
The circumstances of his exit are disputed. Coyne has said Drozd quit, while Drozd told Stereogum this year that he was fired after going to addiction treatment and missing upcoming shows. In the interview, Drozd said Coyne “just stopped talking to me” after he returned to treatment. That is Drozd’s account, not an independently established explanation of the split.
Coyne has said the new single’s lyrics draw on an evening playing hide-and-seek with his sons, Bloom and Rex, as a full moon brought werewolves into their conversation. He described the song’s imagined musical reference as “kind of Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon BUT Syd Barrett is still in the band.”
““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”
The Split’s Circumstances Remain Disputed
The band’s announcement does not resolve the disagreement over how Drozd left. Coyne has described him as having quit; Drozd said he was fired after entering addiction treatment and missing scheduled performances. The material available here presents Drozd’s account through Stereogum’s interview but does not include a new statement from Coyne responding to it.
Details about the album’s recording process, how the musicians divided Drozd’s former parts, and whether Drozd contributed to any songs are not provided. The announcement confirms the credited songwriters and producers, but does not specify the full lineup on every track. The January date is stated as January 22; the source does not name a year in the album listing.
Album Release and Tour Dates
The Teardrop Throbs is scheduled for release on January 22 through Third Man Records. The listed live dates start the same day with a Nashville show at Brooklyn Bowl, followed by dates in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London through April 3. The source announcement does not specify whether the listed performances represent the band’s full touring schedule.
Listeners can hear “God Will Control The Werewolves” ahead of the album’s arrival. Further details that may clarify the recording lineup, additional promotion or any added tour dates have not been announced in the source material.
Key Questions
When is The Teardrop Throbs coming out?
The Flaming Lips list January 22 as the release date, with the album coming out through Third Man Records. The source announcement does not state a year alongside that date.
What is the new Flaming Lips single?
The lead single is “God Will Control The Werewolves.” Coyne said its lyrics were inspired by playing hide-and-seek with his sons on a full-moon evening.
Is this the Flaming Lips’ first album without Steven Drozd?
It is their first album without Drozd since 1992’s Hit To Death In The Future Head, according to the source report. Drozd joined the band in 1991 and later became a multi-instrumentalist and key collaborator.
Why did Steven Drozd leave the band?
The accounts conflict. Wayne Coyne has said Drozd quit; Drozd told Stereogum he was fired after going to addiction treatment and missing upcoming shows. The announcement does not settle the dispute.
Where are the Flaming Lips scheduled to play?
The announced dates include Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London, from January 22 to April 3. The source material does not say whether more dates will be added.
Source: stereogum.com
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