The Strokes are heading back on the road next month, but one familiar face will be missing from the lineup: guitarist and co-founder Nick Valensi. The band announced to fans on social media that Valensi is taking a “temporary break” from the scheduled tour, while adding that they still expect him back at some point. In the meantime, longtime friend Steve Schlitz will handle guitar duties.
The band’s message did not explain why Valensi is stepping away, and it did not give a specific date for his return. What it did make clear is that Schlitz is not a random replacement. The Strokes said he is an old friend from their early New York days and told fans, “We’re lucky to have him.”
This is also not the first time Valensi has been absent in 2026. He previously missed time earlier in the year during another unexplained break, and Schlitz filled in then as well. Valensi later came back in time for the band’s Coachella shows in April.
The timing matters because the Strokes are in the middle of a busy stretch. Valensi, Julian Casablancas, and Fabrizio Moretti formed the group in 1997 while they were college students in New York. Nikolai Fraiture joined soon after, and Albert Hammond Jr. completed the classic lineup in 1999.
From there, the Strokes became one of the defining rock bands of the early 2000s, building their reputation on sharp, hook-heavy songs like “Last Nite,” “Hard to Explain,” “Reptilia,” and “Juicebox.” Over time, they have released five studio albums and continue to be widely seen as one of the most influential bands of their era.
Their sixth studio album, Reality Awaits, is set for release on June 26. Before that, the band is scheduled to play Bonnaroo on June 12, followed by a nationwide headlining tour that begins three days later in Clarkston, Michigan.
