Nov. 20 (UPI) -- Janet Weiss addressed her exit from Sleater-Kinney for the first time.
The 54-year-old musician said during Wednesday's episode of The Trap Set with Joe Wong podcast that she left Sleater-Kinney because she was no longer a creative equal in the band.
Weiss initially joined Sleater-Kinney in 1996 and played drums for the band for 24 years. She left the group this year after a conversation with bandmates Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker.
"The rules changed within the band, and they told me the rules changed," Weiss said. "I said, 'Am I just the drummer now?' They said yes. And I said, 'Can you tell me if I am still a creative equal in the band?' And they said no. So, I left."
Weiss said she, Brownstein and Tucker attended counseling sessions in an attempt to resolve their issues prior to her departure. She referred to her former bandmates as "family."
"I mean, I will never play with two people like that again. They are totally unique, incredible, intuitive players. It's a lot to walk away from. It's my sisters, my family," Weiss said. "But I couldn't be in that band and have it not be equal, especially with what it represents to me. It represents equality."
Weiss announced her exit from Sleater-Kinney in an Instagram post in July.
"The band is heading in a new direction and it is time for me to move on," she said at the time. "I will never forget the heights we reached or the magnificent times Corin, Carrie and I shared."
Brownstein and Tucker responded to Weiss' post on the Sleater-Kinney account.
"We are saddened by Janet's decision to leave Sleater-Kinney," the pair said. "We thank her for joining us on this journey many years ago; we will always cherish our friendship and our time together."
Weiss canceled her planned solo tour in August after she was injured in a "scary" car crash. She told The Trap Set host Joe Wong she expects to make a full recovery.
