After pushing the date back a couple of weeks, The Strokes are gearing up for the July 24, 2026, release of their latest album, Reality Awaits. They will also be embarking on a global tour this summer. But founding guitarist Nick Valensi stepped away from the band in May, sharing a brief announcement after fans noticed he was missing from an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The statement said Valensi was taking a “temporary break” from his duties with The Strokes. But the band offered no timeline or possible return date. It was unclear if he would miss the entire tour or just a handful of dates. Additionally, Valensi didn’t appear in the band’s latest music video for “Going Shopping”, but frontman Julian Casablancas explained that in a comment online.
Since the announcement of Valensi’s break, fans have let their imaginations go wild online. Some people speculated that The Strokes had parted ways with the guitarist permanently. But again, Casablancas set the record straight. At least somewhat.
The Strokes Reassure Fans Nick Valensi Will ‘Be Back Soon’ but Don’t Say When
Julian Casablancas responded to an Instagram comment from a fan who wondered whether Nick Valensi had fallen out with his band members. He negated the speculation and provided a bit of hope for fretting fans.
“Not true,” Casablancas replied, clearing up the did Nick leave the band forever? question. “He’ll be back soon I’m sure.” As for Valensi’s absence from the “Going Shopping” video, which notably featured actor Walton Goggins, that had an easy answer as well.
Casablancas wrote that “[the] video was supposed to be just me and Walton too,” adding that “things just got a little crazy.” The good news, however, is that “he’ll be in the next one.”
So, fans can rest easy knowing that Nick Valensi is not gone forever, just taking a break. Others expressed relief that Casablancas cleared the air, calling attention to the fact that some fans had been digging too deep into Valensi’s absence.
“[Everyone has been] overreacting,” a fan wrote in a Reddit comment. “They always said it was a temporary break. A lot of people didn’t respect him, Nick has a life outside of The Strokes and he needed some time.”
Another person wrote, “Thank god Julian responded, y’all can delete the conspiracy theory comments now.” Still, some fans aren’t convinced. Those people claimed they “will not relax until Nick is fully back.” Another person attempted to analyze Casablancas’ choice of words, claiming that his use of “I’m sure” at the end “implies uncertainty and lack of knowledge of all the details about the situation.”
The post The Strokes Share Latest Update on Founding Guitarist After Rumors About His ‘Temporary Break’ From the Band Ran Wild appeared first on VICE.
