Steven Drozd, longtime mutli-instrumentalist and songwriter for The Flaming Lips, announced his departure from the band last month. The shocking news lead to further comments from his bandmates on his departure and the nature of it, but details were ultimately still left murky in the situation. Recently, Drozd elaborated on the matter publicly for the first time in an interview on FOX, as Consequence reports.

Drozd explained that he had decided he no longer wished to tour with the band, following a “personal crisis” towards the end of The Flaming Lips’ 2024 run. He had hoped to remain an active member of the band in the studio despite this, but as he explained, “Wayne [Coyne] and I disagreed on what I should do moving forward, so we just kind of agreed that I would step back. Then stepping back turned into not coming back. Part of me hoped I could just be like 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 we’re not The Beach Boys. That just seemed like an odd fit. After 33 years, moving on felt kind of right.”

Continuing, he expressed regret over the “blundering mistake” he had made which made his departure public, when he replied to a fan on Threads. According to Drozd, he had believed that his reply would be private, however the message was instead posted to the public. “Before I knew it, it was on the timeline,” he said. “Someone screenshotted it and ran with it. I wish it had been handled differently, like an official statement, before I blundered with that post.” Drozd stated that his relationship with former bandmate Wayne Coyne was “on hold, I guess,” and the two were “just taking a break for now” following the split. Coyne himself issued statements in the fallout of the news, claiming what he had told everyone “was a lie.” Drozd commented on the possibility of a reunion, stating that if it were to happen, “it would be a long time from now,” and that he is currently focused on a solo record that he expects out in the summer. “Everyone is resigned to moving on,” he said.

The full interview can be found below.