After more than 30 years together, multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd has officially confirmed he is no longer a member of The Flaming Lips.

The guitarist, keyboardist, and songwriter had been absent from The Flaming Lips’ live shows for the past year, and with no proper statement from the band, fans were left to speculate on his continued involvement in the project. One fan reached out to him on Threads, asking if he was “officially done with the F Lips.” In a since-deleted post (shared on Reddit), Drozd replied, “They’re done with me – but we’re not talking about it. So yes I’m moving on. Just keep it to yourself for now. OK?”

Drozd originally joined The Flaming Lips as a drummer in 1991, after frontman Wayne Coyne (the only remaining original member) co-founded the band with his brother Mark Coyne, bassist/keyboardist Michael Irvins (who left the band in 2021), and drummer Dave Kostka in 1983. Drozd’s addition to the lineup coincided with the band’s transition from abrasive psychedelic punk to a more accessible neo-psych sound, starting with 1993’s Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, featuring breakout hit “She Don’t Use Jelly”.

Following the departure of Richard English in 1996, Drozd took over complete guitar and keyboard duties. Drozd remained a central force in the Lips’ songwriting through the preceding decades, alongside Coyne, helping craft consecutive modern masterpieces The Soft Bulletin (1999) and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002).

Related: “Do You Realize??” Willie Nelson Covered The Flaming Lips [Listen]

This past year of touring has seen AJ Slaughter take over Drozd’s role on guitar and keyboards. The band’s last album of original material, American Head, arrived in 2020 and was the last to feature Irvins, another key figure in the band’s creative output.

Revisit Steven Drozd with The Flaming Lips in newly surfaced footage of the band performing some hometown shows in Oklahoma City in 1992 and 1994, published by YouTube archivist ChrisB.

The Flaming Lips — “Uncounsciously Screamin'” — Odd Rock Cafe — Oklahoma City, OK — 8/11/92

The Flaming Lips — Oklahoma City State Fair Arena — Oklahoma City, OK — 4/1/94 — Full Video