The Flaming Lips have announced their first album of new material in six years, The Teardrop Throbs, which will arrive Jan. 22 via Third Man Records. Today, the band has released the lead single “God Will Control the Werewolves.”
“God Will Control the
Werewolves” was inspired by a story about Wayne Coyne’s sons, Bloom and Rex, who were playing hide and seek during a full moon. “Bloom asked me if, while him and Rex were hiding , [if] the werewolves would get them,” Coyne said. “I told him God would control the werewolves for a little bit while we played hide n seek. The way I heard the song sounding (in my head) was kind of Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon BUT Syd Barrett is still in the band.”
To celebrate the album, the band will play a series of intimate concerts in New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, Chicago, and London in 2027. The Flaming Lips will play two shows in each city, with one set highlighting their new record and tracks from their early career, and the other featuring The Teardrop Throbs reimaginings and songs from the aughts onward.
Pre-sales for the shows will occur Wednesday, Oct. 28 and Thursday, Oct. 29 at 10:00 a.m. local time. General on-sale begins Friday, Oct. 30 at 10:00 a.m. local time via the Flaming Lips’ official website.
The Teardrop Throbs will be the Flaming Lips’ 17th album, following 2020’s American Head. It’ll also be their first record without Steven Drozd, who joined the band in 1991. At the end of 2025, the multi-instrumentalist said he was “officially done” with the Flaming Lips after a “personal crisis” caused him to take a step back from touring duties.
While Drozd said he wanted to be a non-touring member of the band, he alleged that Coyne disagreed on what his new role would be. “Wayne and I disagreed on what I should do moving forward, so we just kind of agreed that I would step back,” he said. “Then stepping back turned into not coming back.”
Coyne, for his part, pushed back on Drozd’s characterization of his departure, writing on Instagram, “the reason he left is sad , and infuriating…. it is HIS responsibility to tell everyone what happened… what he told everyone was a lie.”
This year, the Flaming Lips celebrated the 20th anniversary of At War With the Mystics with a special reissue containing a massive selection of rarities.
The Flaming Lips 2027 Tour Dates
Jan. 22 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
Jan. 23 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
Jan. 26 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Jan. 27 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Feb. 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
Feb. 24 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether
Feb. 27 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
Feb. 28 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
April 2 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush
April 3 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherds Bush
The Flaming Lips The Teardrop Throbs Track List
1. Throb
2. God Will Control The Werewolves
3. Titan
4. Every Teardrop Cried
5. Hooray
6. Instructions On How To Draw An Eyeball or How To Deal With A Loved One Who Is Addicted To Drugs
7. You See You In Me
8. You’ve Got Brain Damage
9. At the End of the Day
10. The Trees Are Getting Their Leaves / Ceasefire In The City of Singing Flame
11. Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell Part Two
12. A Sunset Far Away
13. Now I Understand
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