Steven Drozd, the former co-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of the Flaming Lips, has given his first interview on his sudden exit from the band. He told FOX23 News Tulsa’s Nathan Thompson that his departure followed a decision to retire from touring and spend more time with his family. “Wayne [Coyne] and I disagreed on what I should do moving forward,” he said, noting that he would have liked to remain on as a studio member. “So we just kind of agreed that I would step back, and then step back turned into not coming back.”

Further details on the split remain vague. When Drozd broke the news last December (in a since-deleted reply on Threads), Coyne said his former bandmate’s explanation—that the group was “done with” him—was a lie. “The reason he left is sad, and infuriating,” Coyne added. “It is HIS responsibility to tell everyone what happened.”

Last March, Rolling Stone Japan published an interview with Coyne about Drozd’s absence from the band’s Japanese tour lineup, stating he’d been been concerned about his bandmate’s drinking and drug use. “It never really affected his performance, until the end of the tour last September and October, when he couldn't even play at all,” said Coyne, according to Pitchfork’s translation of the article. The frontman added, “I really thought if the band continued as it was, he might not survive. But now that it seems like he's gotten through the worst of it, I think we made the right decision at that time, though I don't know what's going to happen.”

In the new interview, Drozd alludes to “some personal crisis things” at the end of the Lips’ 2024 tour with Weezer. (He was absent from the band’s subsequent tour dates, including the Japanese run, but returned for a string of U.S. shows.) “People know some about it,” he said, “but I don’t wanna get too much into that.” He added that he “blundered” by revealing the news on Threads, not realizing it would spread so quickly.

Asked if the decision to part ways with the band was mutual, he responded, “I’d just keep it at mutual. Part of me hoped I could be a guy that doesn’t tour but is still in the band. I think that can work for some bands—I guess it worked for the Beach Boys…. but that just seemed like an odd fit that wasn’t gonna work. After 33 years, moving on felt kind of right.”

He also poured cold water on hopes of reconciliation. “I’m working on a record […] that will probably come out in the summer,” he said. “I’m working with some people, but it won’t be the Flaming Lips.”