In a wide-ranging and introspective interview, Pete Townshend has raised fresh uncertainty about the future of The Who, while also confirming a quiet but painful rift with drummer Zak Starkey. Published in Rolling Stone this June, the interview finds the 79-year-old guitarist in a contemplative mood, weighing the weight of legacy against the reality of time, and revealing that the legendary band may have taken its final bow.

The Who, who over the past 60 years have weathered more than a few farewells, seem, for now at least, to be at a standstill. Townshend, long known for his sharp wit and analytical take on rock music’s mythology, didn’t mince words when asked what’s next. “There are no plans,” he said plainly. “There’s nothing on the calendar.” Though he admitted their last few shows were musically satisfying, he also described them as “exhausting”. He hinted that his emotional connection to performing under The Who’s name has grown more complex.

But perhaps the most unexpected revelation from the interview was the admission of a falling-out with Zak Starkey. Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, has been behind The Who’s drum kit since the mid-1990s and was widely regarded as the group’s unofficial third member. His playing, while never a copy of Keith Moon’s, carried the same unpredictable fire that long defined the band’s live energy.

Pete Townshend didn’t go into specifics, but he called the parting “a bit of a mess,” adding that the situation had left him saddened. “It ended with a bit of finality,” he said. There was a pause; he seemed unsure how much more to say. Though careful not to point fingers, his tone suggested a deeper tension had been building for some time. “We didn’t quite get to a place where it could be repaired.”

For fans who’ve followed The Who through their many chapters, Starkey’s absence will be difficult to overlook. He played on the band’s 2006 album Endless Wire and was an essential part of their live shows throughout the 2000s and beyond, including the band’s most recent self-titled release in 2019. Onstage, he brought a sense of continuity, part Moon spirit, part his own steady self.

Roger Daltrey, the band’s enduring frontman, has not yet made any public statements about the future of The Who or Starkey’s departure. As for Townshend, he didn’t completely shut the door. He floated the idea that some other project might pull him back into performing. “Something might come up,” he said. “Something unplanned.”

But for now, it seems The Who has entered a new chapter, one that feels less like an encore and more like a long fade-out. For Townshend, whose life has been wrapped up in the mythology of The Who since he was a teenager, the silence may speak louder than any final show.