Wayne Coyne says Steven Drozd lied about his The Flaming Lips exit, saying it’s “his responsibility to tell everyone what happened.”
The split between Steven Drozd and The Flaming Lips has grown more complicated, with frontman Wayne Coyne publicly disputing Drozd’s suggestion that his departure was due to the band being “done with me.” Coyne placed responsibility on the longtime band member to explain what actually happened to fans.
Drozd revealed last week in a since-deleted post that he was no longer part of The Flaming Lips after nearly 35 years. The band has not issued a formal statement, but Coyne addressed the situation directly in a lengthy Instagram post, confirming Drozd’s exit while rejecting the explanation Drozd initially offered.
“For anybody who read Stevens post about the reason he is no longer in The Flaming Lips … I can say that is absolutely not true … the reason he left is sad , and infuriating…. it is HIS responsibility to tell everyone what happened… what he told everyone was a lie ….I was trying to give him ( Steven ) his own space and time to let everyone know what REALLY happened… I will post more in just a few days,” Coyne wrote.
Current The Flaming Lips drummer Matthew Duckworth Kirksey also weighed in earlier this week, defending Coyne and challenging a narrative that has circulated among fans online. In a post shared in collaboration with The Flaming Lips’ official Instagram account, Kirksey wrote, “A lot of great friends and better people have come and gone along the way. I still love them, and miss them, and some of them are my family. This idea that Steven was THE musical genius, and Wayne is just some weirdo artist… Its just not true.”
Kirksey expanded on the reality of being in a band that rarely stops touring, describing rehearsals as “brutal” but “f**king FUN,” and crediting Coyne’s drive as the force that keeps the group moving forward. He also revealed that new The Flaming Lips music is on the way, calling it “the best thing we’ve done in ages.”
Drozd responded to Kirksey’s post on Threads, writing, “I only thought I was messaging with some kid on threads. I’m not claiming anything. So this feels not right to me.”
Speculation around Drozd’s status had been building for months, after fans noticed his absence from live shows. His last performance with the band seems to have taken place on October 12, 2024, closing out their tour with Weezer at the Acrisure Arena in Thousand Palms, California. The Flaming Lips have since brought in guitarist A.J. Slaughter.
Neither The Flaming Lips nor Drozd have confirmed the exact reason for his departure, but it seems pretty clear now that two current members have commented on the situation that he’s officially out.
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