Sleater-Kinney’s Janet Weiss quits the band after two decades together

Sleater-Kinney’s upcoming album produced by St. Vincent will be the last one with longtime drummer Janet Weiss.

On Monday morning Weiss announced that after 24 years, she has left the beloved indie-rock band. She made the announcement in a note to fans on social media explaining her decision.

“After intense deliberation and with heavy sadness, I have decided to leave Sleater-Kinney,” wrote Weiss. “The band is heading in a new direction and it’s time for me to move on.”

Weiss’ tone was a dramatic shift from when she spoke to The Times in 2015 before the release of the group’s last album (and first in 10 years).

“I can feel the power of the band — just the three of us as people and what we believe in, how we live and the energy that is created with the three of us,” Weiss said back then. “There’s a lot of tension and explosiveness. This feels meaningful. These are stories about things that matter.”

The band responded to Weiss’s departure by posting a note on its official Instagram page.

“We are saddened by Janet’s decision to leave Sleater-Kinney,” it read. “We thank her for joining us on this journey many years ago; we will always cherish our friendship and our time together.”

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Weiss’ decision comes on the heels of two new singles, “Hurry on Home” and “The Future Is Here”; an appearance on “The Tonight Show” in June; and only a month before the Aug. 16 release of “The Center Won’t Hold,” Sleater-Kinney’s first new album in five years.

Sleater-Kinney has yet to announce who will replace Weiss for the band’s upcoming tour, which stops at L.A.’s Hollywood Palladium on Nov. 14.