The Flaming Lips announce The Teardrop Throbs, their first album for Third Man Records
The band’s first album of new material since 2020 is due on January 22, 2027, with a new single out and two shows planned in each of five cities.
The Flaming Lips announced The Teardrop Throbs on October 26, their first album for Third Man Records and first new studio album since 2020’s American Head. The 17th studio album is due on January 22, 2027. Its lead single, ‘God Will Control the Werewolves,’ is out now, and the band has announced shows in four US cities and London to accompany the release.
A new label and the first single
The move brings the band to Third Man Records, the independent label associated with Jack White, after a long run on Warner Records, Billboard reported. Consequence identifies The Teardrop Throbs as the band’s first album since American Head. The release also follows the departures of longtime members Michael Ivins and Steven Drozd, according to Consequence; neither departure is explained by the album announcement.
Frontman Wayne Coyne said the idea for ‘God Will Control the Werewolves’ came from playing hide-and-seek with his sons in a park as it grew dark. He told them that God would control the werewolves while they played, Billboard reported. Coyne described the sound he had in mind as Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon with Syd Barrett still in the band. That account explains the song’s starting point, rather than setting out a theme for the whole album.
The 13-track album also includes ‘Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell Part Two,’ a return to the title of a song from the band’s 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Coyne said he likes giving songs from earlier records a new rendering, while describing this one as a different song dealing with ego death, Consequence reported.
Production is credited to the band, Taylor Johnson, Dave Fridmann and the band’s longtime manager Scott Booker. Billboard also lists Jon and Mike Fridmann for additional production. Those credits place familiar collaborators alongside the band on its first Third Man release.
Where the Flaming Lips plan to play in 2027
The planned run opens with two Nashville shows on January 22 and 23, the same day and the day after the album’s scheduled release. It continues in New York on January 26 and 27, Los Angeles on February 23 and 24, and Chicago on February 27 and 28, before closing in London on April 2 and 3, Consequence reported.
The two nights in each city are planned as different performances. Billboard says one will pair the full new album with songs from the band’s early years, while the other will feature a reimagining of The Teardrop Throbs and later material. For concertgoers, the distinction means the announced dates offer two programmes in each city rather than repeat performances of the same set.
Consequence lists an artist presale for October 28, a Live Nation presale for October 29 and general sales for October 30, each beginning at 10 a.m. local time. The album release and performances remain scheduled for 2027.
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Sources and context
- Flaming Lips Jump to Third Man Records For First New LP in Six Years, ‘The Teardrop Throbs’Billboard
- The Flaming Lips Announce New Album The Teardrop Throbs, Special Tour DatesConsequence
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.