Strokes Guitarist Nick Valensi Has Been Busy Playing With Other Artists

Nick Valensi, the guitarist for the Strokes, has been on an indefinite hiatus from the band since May. Indefinite means there is no set date for his return. Pitchfork reports that he has spent those months playing with a long list of other musicians.

The break was first announced in May. The Strokes posted the news on their Instagram story, saying: "Nick will be taking a temporary break from the scheduled tour, but we look forward to his return." Longwave frontman Steve Schiltz stepped in to cover his parts on the tour. Valensi had already missed some of the band's 2026 shows before returning for their Coachella sets. He was not on stage when the Strokes performed their single "Falling Out of Love" on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on May 15.

The tour was set to cross North America, Europe and Japan, with headlining slots at Bonnaroo 2026 and Outside Lands 2026. The band's album Reality Awaits was due out on June 26, according to Pitchfork's May report. It is the Strokes' first album in six years.

Valensi's recent playing has been wide-ranging. He spent months alongside Jack White. He also played with Dragonflies, the group fronted by Dhani Harrison and produced by Nigel Godrich.

He has also joined Duran Duran on stage in Paris. Simon Le Bon introduced him before the band performed "Rio." The song had to be restarted because of technical difficulties, and the band carried on from the beginning.

For fans, the practical question is who will be on stage when the Strokes play. The band has not announced a date for Valensi's return, and the tour plans described in May did not say how many shows he would miss.