The Flaming Lips are ready to take fans on another psychedelic trip. The Oklahoma alternative rock veterans have announced their 17th studio album, The Teardrop Throbs, and shared its first single, “God Will Control The Werewolves.”
The album will arrive on January 22, 2027, through Third Man Records, the label founded by Jack White. It marks the band’s first full-length collection of new material since 2020’s American Head and their debut release with Third Man Records.
The Flaming Lips Get Personal With “God Will Control The Werewolves”
The band’s new single draws inspiration from an unexpectedly sweet moment between frontman Wayne Coyne and his two sons, Bloom and Rex.
Coyne recalled playing hide-and-seek with the boys in a park as darkness approached. With a full moon overhead and werewolf movies fresh in their minds, one of his sons wondered whether the creatures might come after them while they hid.
Coyne reassured him that God would keep the werewolves under control while they played.
That childhood exchange eventually inspired the song’s unusual title and central idea. The story also gave Coyne a specific musical direction. He imagined the track sounding like Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, but with the late Syd Barrett still in the lineup.
‘The Teardrop Throbs’ Explores Fatherhood, Grief and Mortality
While “God Will Control The Werewolves” began with a sweet family moment, the larger album takes on heavier themes.
In an extensive statement accompanying the announcement, Coyne explained how fatherhood, death and grief shaped the record. He also described how everyday experiences and unsettling thoughts found their way into the songwriting process.
The result is a collection that looks beyond the band’s trademark sound to explore the emotions that come with raising children, confronting mortality and trying to make sense of life’s uncertainties.
The 13-track album also revisits the band’s own musical history. “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell Part Two” reimagines ideas from the original “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell,” which appeared on the band’s acclaimed 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
Other tracks include “Throb,” “Titan,” “Every Teardrop Cried,” “Hooray” and “Now I Understand.”
The Flaming Lips Plan Intimate Shows for 2027
To celebrate the new album, The Flaming Lips will play a series of intimate two-night stands across the United States and the United Kingdom.
The announced dates include:
- January 22-23, 2027: Brooklyn Bowl, Nashville
- January 26-27, 2027: Irving Plaza, New York
- February 23-24, 2027: The Bellwether, Los Angeles
- February 27-28, 2027: Metro, Chicago
- April 2-3, 2027: O2 Shepherd’s Bush, London
Artist presales begin October 28, followed by local presales on October 29. General ticket sales begin October 30 at 10 a.m. local time.
