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Steven Drozd says Wayne Coyne stopped communicating after treatment, ending 33-year run with The Flaming Lips
Steven Drozd says his exit from The Flaming Lips followed a return to addiction treatment and a breakdown in communication with Wayne Coyne. Drozd says he hadn’t heard from Coyne since January 3, 2025, and that he’s now working on a solo album.
Steven Drozd says his exit from The Flaming Lips followed a return to addiction treatment and a breakdown in communication with frontman Wayne Coyne. Drozd told Stereogum he hadn’t heard from Coyne since January 3, 2025, and that the relationship effectively ended after he relapsed over the 2024 holidays.
Drozd’s absence from live dates first drew notice in 2024, when multi-instrumentalist AJ Slaughter appeared in the band’s touring lineup. The band did not initially comment on the change.
In December 2024 Drozd posted on Threads, writing that “They’re done with me – but we’re not talking about it. Yes I’m moving on.” He later deleted the post and said it was meant to be a private message. Coyne then posted on Instagram confirming Drozd’s departure and calling the reason “sad and infuriating,” and saying it was Drozd’s responsibility to explain what happened.
“I went back to treatment, and then Wayne just stopped communicating with me,” Drozd told Stereogum. “I haven’t heard from him since January 3, 2025.”
Drozd described a sustained decision to step back from touring that “reached a climax” when his 16-year-old daughter, Charlotte, went missing in October 2024. Coyne joined public appeals at the time. After three days Charlotte was found and confirmed safe. Drozd said the incident was traumatic and preceded his entering treatment for drinking. He said he relapsed around Christmas and returned to treatment.
According to Drozd, the band continued with shows without him, including dates in Australia, and he received no formal notice about his status. “So, by the summer of last year, I knew. I knew it was over and that was it,” he said.
The Stereogum piece, published May 6, 2026, includes an extended interview with Drozd in which he discusses his 33-34 year tenure with the band, the circumstances around his departure, and plans for a solo album expected this autumn. A representative for Coyne declined to comment to Stereogum.
Flaming Lips drummer Matthew Duckworth Kirksey told media late last year the band has new music on the way and called it “the best thing we’ve done in ages.” The group is scheduled to play Latitude Festival alongside Lewis Capaldi, Teddy Swims and David Byrne.
Drozd is now working on his solo debut and has said more details will follow ahead of a planned autumn release.
Reporting note: this article is based on Drozd’s interview with Stereogum and public posts from December 2024 through early 2026.
