Queens of The Stone Age released their first album since 2017 ‘In Times New Roman‘ in June, and the ‘QOTSA’ frontman Josh Homme talked about the process of making new albums with Ultimate Classic Rock. Josh mentioned that he takes accountability for the delay, and shared his reasoning:
“For whatever reason, making a Queens record has become more difficult. And that’s certainly my fault. If it was like, ‘Well, who is responsible for that?’ I’d put my hand up amongst the guys. But I think also because I want to put everything I have into it.”
Homme then compared how it feels when working for ‘QOTSA’ to working for Eagles of Death Metal:
“I don’t take myself overly seriously, but I take the process of a Queens record seriously. Like if I’m working with Eagles of Death Metal or producing a record or collaborating in some way, I feel like that’s much easier for me to enjoy that process.”
The frontman also clarified his thought process while making a Queens record:
“And it’s not like I don’t enjoy making a Queens record. It’s just that it always feels a little bit like mountaineering. It feels like an accomplishment and it feels great to do, but it doesn’t feel simple.”
In 2019, Josh Homme went through a divorce and a custody battle. COVID-19 lockdowns on top of that wore Josh out. In an interview in June, he said:
“I felt chained to the floor for the last three years.”
In terms of his songwriting becoming gradually more personal, he said:
“When someone says it’s not personal, I’m like, ‘That’s just the lie you tell yourself, motherfucker.’ If it’s not personal, don’t do it.”
He also mentioned that working for ‘In Times New Roman’ was difficult, but he used it as a distraction from his personal life:
“I think this is the first time I didn’t want to make a record, but I was dealing with a lot of stuff in my personal life. We recorded a lot of stuff. I think I was doing it because when I’m in trouble, this is what I do. This is where I go to get right.”
Queens of The Stone Age is on the road this Fall, from September 16 until November 23. Check here for the dates and the tickets.