Psychedelic Oklahomans The Flaming Lips have announced The Teardrop Throbs, their 17th studio album and their first since 2020's American Head. The album will be released via Third Man Records on January 22, and is the band's first since the departure of longtime members Michael Ivins in 2021 and Steven Drozd three years later.
The Teardrop Throbs was produced by the band with Taylor Johnson, Dave Fridmann and Scott Booker, with additional production from Jon Fridmann and Mike Fridmann. The band have also released the first single from the new album, the typically transcendent God Will Control The Werewolves.
"Control The Werewolves started as a little story about my two boys (Bloom and Rex) and me playing hide and seek at the park as it was getting dark outside," says Lips frontman Kevin Coyne. "We had all become very aware of the moon cycles when we stayed at an ocean view Airbnb about a month previously.
"The full moon had sucked all the water out of this ocean cove area, and we walked a quarter mile out on the seabed, seeing strange ocean creatures attached to the rocks. But yes... because of the moon, we had this amazing adventure, so it was fresh in our minds, and on this evening of hide-and-seek, it was luckily another full moon.
"Bloom asked me if, while he and Rex were hiding, the werewolves would get them (they had also watched a few werewolf movies and knew that the full moon was the time when the werewolves were out and about), and I told him God would control the werewolves for a little bit while we played hide-and-seek.
"The way I heard the song sounding (in my head) was kind of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon, but Syd Barrett is still in the band. Ha!"
The Flaming Lips will celebrate the release of The Teardrop Throbs with a run of UK and US dates in January, February and April, performing pairs of unique shows in five different cities: Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and London. Full dates below.
The Teardrop Throbs is available to pre-order now.
The Flaming Lips: The Teardrop Throbs tracklist
Throb
God Will Control The Werewolves
Titan
Every Teardrop Cried
Hooray
Instructions On How To Draw An Eyeball or How To Deal With A Loved One Who Is Addicted To Drugs
You See You In Me
You’ve Got Brain Damage
At The End Of The Day
The Trees Are Getting Their Leaves / Ceasefire In The City Of Singing Flame
Ego Tripping At The Gates Of Hell Part Two
A Sunset Far Away
Now I Understand
The Flaming Lips: 2027 tour dates
Jan 22: Nashville Brooklyn Bowl, TN
Jan 23: Nashville rooklyn Bowl, TN
Jan 26: New York Irving Plaza, NY
Jan 27: New York Irving Plaza, NY
Feb 23: Los Angeles The Bellwether, CA
Feb 24: Los Angeles The Bellwether, CA
Feb 27: Chicago Metro, IL
Feb 28: Chicago Metro, IL
Apr 02: London O2 Shepherd’s Bush, UK
Apr 03: London O2 Shepherd’s Bush, UK
