Flaming Lips on Relapse & "Life Crisis" That Inspired "Bleak" New Album
Confetti canons. Dancing Teletubbies. Man-sized plastic bubble balls. "Do You Realize." Slap-happy homemade films about Christmas on Mars. Wayne Coyne's gospel-like preaching about love and togetherness. Oklahoma City's Flaming Lips have become synonymous for communal psychedelic positivity. But 30 years and 12 albums into their careers, the band are ready to change their tune with The Terror.
The album, out April 2, has been described as "bleak," "disturbing" and "dark," and for good reason: it was recorded and inspired by multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd's relapse and by a sort of "crisis of life confidence" with both Drozd and singer Wayne Coyne. This resulted in moody tracks with names like "You Are Alone" an "Butterfly, How Long It Takes to Die." Hear the first leak from the LP, "Look... The Sun Is Rising," now via NPR (and check out the band's spring tour dates, kicking off at SXSW).
The wisecracking Drozd discussed The Terror from his Oklahoma City home. He was particularly excited to chat with Fuse, too: “Usually the publicist gives me the Atheist Vegetarian Yogi Bass Player Weekly-type interviews… [laughs]”
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