Sleater-Kinney: Janet Weiss, Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein (l-r)

Just six weeks before the release of Sleater-Kinney’s ninth studio LP – The Center Won’t Hold – drummer Janet Weiss has announced she will be leaving the trio.

“The band is heading in a new direction and it is time for me to move on,” the drummer wrote in a message posted to her social channels. “I will never forget the heights we reached or the magnificent times Corin, Carrie and I shared.”

Weiss first joined Sleater-Kinney in 1996, and saw them through some of their most critically acclaimed LPs, namely 1997’s Dig Me Out and 2005’s The Woods. Weiss also performed with guitarist Carrie Brownstein in the four-piece Wild Flag, which released a lone, self-titled album in 2011.

The Center Won’t Hold will be released on Aug. 16 via Mom + Pop. It was produced by art-rock titan St. Vincent.

No word yet on who would be replacing Weiss on stage. The band’s tour to support the new record is set to kick off Oct. 9 in their home state of Washington.

Read Weiss’ full message below, and watch her perform new single “Hurry On Home” with Sleater-Kinney on The Tonight Show below:

UPDATE:
Sleater-Kinny have released a statement on Weiss’ departure.

“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, including The Center Won’t Hold,” it reads.

“We thank her for joining us on this journey many years ago; we will cherish out friendship and our time together. We wish Janet all the best as she starts a new chapter in her life.

“We are excited for everyone to hear the record and to see you on the road this fall and beyond.

“Love,
Sleater-Kinney”

Sleater-Kinney Tour Dates

Oct 9 Spokane, WA – Fox Theatre
Oct 11 Boise, ID – Knitting Factory Concert House
Oct 12 Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
Oct 13 Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
Oct 15 Minneapolis, MN – Palace Theatre
Oct 16 Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theater
Oct 18 Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre
Oct 20 Louisville, KY – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
Oct 21 Nashvill, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Oct 23 Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
Oct 25 Washington, DC – The Anthem
Oct 26 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE – Indoor
Oct 27 Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
Oct 29 Boston, MA – House of Blues
Oct 30 Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
Oct 31 New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
Nov 1 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
Nov 3 Toronto, ON – Rebel Complex
Nov 4 Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
Nov 5 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
Nov 7 Houston, TX – House of Blues
Nov 8 Dallas, TX – House of Blues
Nov 9 Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater
Nov 11 Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
Nov 12 San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
Nov 13 Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory OC
Nov 14 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
Nov 16 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
Nov 19 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
Nov 21 Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
Nov 23 Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre