Sleater-Kinney drummer Janet Weiss has released a statement on Twitter announcing her departure from the band. Weiss, who joined the band in 1996 ahead of their third album Dig Me Out, wrote in the statement that Sleater-Kinney is “heading in a new direction and it is time for me to move on.” The news comes as a bit of a shock, as Weiss had been a key part of the 3-piece outfit for the last two decades and will appear on their forthcoming St. Vincent-produced album The Center Won’t Hold.
“I will never forget the heights we reached or the magnificent times Corin, Carrie and I shared,” Weiss wrote. “We were a force of nature.”
Weiss is also a drummer for Quasi and has played with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. She performed on The Shins‘ 2012 album Port of Morrow. Sleater-Kinney recently released the singles “The Future Is Here” and “Hurry on Home” from The Center Won’t Hold, which is set to be released on August 16 via Mom + Pop. It is the follow-up to 2015’s No Cities to Love.
Read Weiss’ statement below.
Big changes. pic.twitter.com/PWWHMWDLU9
— Janet Weiss (@jazzzhand) July 1, 2019