{"id":362758,"date":"2025-12-22T00:32:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T00:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/362758\/"},"modified":"2025-12-22T00:32:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-22T00:32:08","slug":"the-flaming-lips-share-drummers-statement-on-steven-drozds-departure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/362758\/","title":{"rendered":"The Flaming Lips Share Drummer\u2019s Statement on Steven Drozd\u2019s Departure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, Steven Drozd<\/a> revealed in a since-deleted post<\/a> that he\u2019s no longer in the Flaming Lips<\/a> after a nearly 35-year-long run. The band hasn\u2019t formally released its own statement, and neither has Wayne Coyne<\/a>, but their current drummer Matthew Duckworth Kirksey did share some thoughts in an Instagram post<\/a> today in collaboration with the band\u2019s official account.<\/p>\n

\u201cA 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,\u201d wrote Kirksey, who joined the Flaming Lips back in 2014. \u201cThis idea that Steven was THE musical genius, and Wayne is just some weirdo artist\u2026 Its just not true.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirksey goes on to explain how hard it is to be in a band for a long time, going so far as to call their rehearsals \u201cbrutal\u201d but \u201cfucking FUN,\u201d and credits Coyne\u2019s drive as making it all worthwhile. He also revealed that the Flaming Lips are releasing new music soon and called it \u201cthe best thing we\u2019ve done in ages.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read Kirksey\u2019s full statement below:<\/p>\n

\u201cMan\u2026 hard to read a lot of these comments. Being in a band, for a long time, that never really stops touring is hard. Some People can hack it for 5 years, some people can hack it for 25 years\u2026 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. I just want to say\u2026 If you haven’t heard this newest iteration of the band, give us a shot. The music, and the show is better than ever. And remember\u2026 NONE of this ever happens without Wayne. This idea that Steven was THE musical genius, and Wayne is just some weirdo artist\u2026 Its just not true. Wayne pushes the creativity, the sound, and the show forward, like no artist I’ve ever been around. Being in The Lips is hard\u2026 I remember before I was in the band, I would see them rehearsing for hours and hours and think\u2026 man\u2026 thats brutal. But once you get to be a part of that vision\u2026 its fucking exhilarating. Its fucking FUN. Its Wayne’s drive to be great that makes it all possible. Always has, always will. Derek has been is this band for 16 years. I’ve been in it for 12 years. It’s our blood, sweat, and tears as well. We’ve given our whole selves to this thing\u2026 Because we love it, and believe in it. There is new music on the way and I think its the best thing we’ve done in ages. I can’t wait for you to hear it. Come see us this summer if you get a chance. Happy Holidays!\u201d<\/p>\n