Six weeks ahead of a new Sleater-Kinney album release, drummer Janet Weiss has exited the band. In a post on social media captioned “Big changes,” Weiss wrote, “after intense deliberation and with heavy sadness, I have decided to leave Sleater-Kinney. … it is time for me to move on.”
Signed to the independent label Mom + Pop Music, a new St. Vincent-produced album is due out on August 16. The band released a new song from the collection, “Hurry on Home,” in May. It also is planning an extensive fall North American tour that kicks off on Sept. 5.
Weiss cites the band “heading in a new direction” as cause for her departure. Curiously, when the group revealed its return, Weiss was quoted as saying, “it was liberating to explore a different sound palette.”
Her announcement post elicited supportive reactions from such esteemed musicians as Spoon’s Britt Daniel, Black Keys’ Patrick Carney, Cat Power and Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, among others.
The band is rounded out by guitarist Corin Tucker and singer and guitarist Carrie Brownstein who posted on the official Sleater-Kinney account, “We are saddened by Janet’s decision to leave Sleater-Kinney. It has been an incredible privilege to work with such a talented musician and drummer over the course of so many albums.”
The group is managed by Forward Artist Management, which also handles Jack Antonoff, Bleachers, RZA and Moses Sumney.
The New York-based Mom + Pop is the label home of Courtney Barnett, Tom Morello, Lucius, Alice Merton, Tash Sultana and others.