Steven Drozd Exits The Flaming Lips After 33 Years

Steven Drozd, the longtime multi-instrumentalist and co-songwriter for The Flaming Lips, has publicly detailed his departure from the band after 33 years, citing a personal crisis and a disagreement with frontman Wayne Coyne over his future role. In an interview Thursday on FOX 23's One More Thing program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Drozd explained that the split followed the end of the band's 2024 tour, when he decided to stop performing live but hoped to continue contributing in the studio.

Drozd joined The Flaming Lips in 1991 as a drummer and went on to play multiple instruments while co-writing key tracks, including the 1993 hit "She Don't Use Jelly" and albums such as 1999's The Soft Bulletin and 2002's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. The band, formed in Oklahoma City in 1983, has not released a full album since 2020's American Head, all of which featured Drozd's involvement. His final performance with the group came on October 12, 2024, at Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, California.

The 56-year-old musician described a personal crisis toward the end of that year's tour with Weezer as the turning point. "Wayne and I disagreed on what I should do moving forward, so we just kind...