Drummer Steve Smith, widely recognized for his time with the rock band Journey, has reflected on his original departure from the group in the 1980s. Speaking recently in a video interview, he described the moment as one of the tougher transitions in his professional life, something that went deeper than just switching projects or stepping off a stage.

Steve Smith first joined Journey in 1978, coming in at a time when the band was shifting its sound from its earlier fusion roots into a more straightforward rock direction. His drumming helped shape that new identity. Albums like Evolution, Departure, and Escape featured his style front and center: tight, punchy, but with the kind of subtle touch that stood out without trying to.

By the middle of the decade, though, things inside the band had started to feel different. Smith said that over time, the dynamic changed. The sense of everyone pulling together creatively, with equal say, had started to slip away. Decisions didn’t always involve him. That mattered. For a musician used to being an active part of the process, the shift left him questioning whether it was still the right fit.

In 1985, he made the call to leave. But as Smith explained, stepping away from a band like Journey wasn’t something he could just walk off from and not feel. The adjustment was difficult. Even with other offers on the table and projects coming up, it took time to find a rhythm again, both musically and personally. The loss of connection, routine, and the shared purpose that came with touring and creating with the same group of people left a mark.

After the Journey, Smith returned to the world he came from: jazz. He poured his energy into his long-running band Vital Information and found space to play the way he wanted to. He worked with other artists, too, across different styles, but that period also allowed him to dig deeper into his own voice as a drummer.

Smith would rejoin Journey years later, first in the mid-’90s for the Trial by Fire album and then again from 2015 to 2020. Coming back wasn’t just about the music; it was also about navigating old relationships that had changed with time. Some things worked better than others. He said each return was different, not only because the music evolved but because everyone involved had grown in their own direction.

Now, looking back, Smith sees that first exit as a defining moment. Not an ending, but a break that made room for the rest of his career to unfold. “It was a hard transition,” he said: one that taught him about letting go, finding new footing, and what it really means to be part of something.