Queens of the Stone Age facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age performing at Accor Arena, Paris, in 2023
Background information
Also known as	Gamma Ray (1996)
Origin	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock stoner rock desert rock hard rock alternative metal
Years active	1996 (1996)–present
Labels	Man's Ruin Loosegroove Interscope Matador
Members	Josh Homme Troy Van Leeuwen Michael Shuman Dean Fertita Jon Theodore
Past members	Alfredo Hernández Dave Catching Nick Oliveri Mark Lanegan Gene Trautmann Dave Grohl Joey Castillo Alain Johannes Natasha Shneider

Queens of the Stone Age (often called QOTSA or QotSA) is an American rock band. It started in Seattle in 1996. The band was created by singer and guitarist Josh Homme. He is the only member who has been in the band since the beginning. Since 2013, the main members have been Josh Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Michael Shuman (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), Dean Fertita (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), and Jon Theodore (drums).

The band formed after Josh Homme's earlier band, Kyuss, broke up. Their first album, Queens of the Stone Age, came out in 1998. For this album, Homme played most of the instruments himself. Later, Nick Oliveri joined as bassist and co-singer. Their second album, Rated R (2000), was a big success. It helped them become well-known and included the popular song "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret". Their third album, Songs for the Deaf (2002), featured Dave Grohl on drums.

After some changes in the band, Queens of the Stone Age released Lullabies to Paralyze (2005) and Era Vulgaris (2007). After a break, they signed with Matador Records in 2013. They then released three more albums: ...Like Clockwork (2013), Villains (2017), and In Times New Roman... (2023). ...Like Clockwork was their first album to reach number one on the Billboard charts.

The band has been nominated for 9 Grammy Awards. They are known for mixing blues, electronica, and Krautrock into their hard rock sound. Josh Homme's unique singing style and guitar playing are also a big part of their music.

Band History

Starting the Band and First Album (1996–1999)

After his band Kyuss ended in 1995, Josh Homme moved to Seattle. He briefly played guitar for Screaming Trees. Then, he started a new band called Gamma Ray. They released an EP (a short album) in 1996. It included songs like "Born to Hula."

In 1997, Gamma Ray changed their name to Queens of the Stone Age. This happened because another band already had the name Gamma Ray. The name "Queens of the Stone Age" came from a nickname given to Kyuss by their producer, Chris Goss. Homme explained that "Kings" sounded too serious. He wanted the band's music to be "heavy enough for the boys and sweet enough for the girls."

The first song released under the new name was "18 A.D." It appeared on a compilation album. The band's first live show was in Seattle in November 1997. In December, they released a split EP with Kyuss.

Homme then returned to Palm Desert, California. In 1998, Queens of the Stone Age released their first album. Homme played guitar and bass on the album. Alfredo Hernández played drums. Soon after, former Kyuss bassist Nick Oliveri joined the band. They started touring with a lineup mostly made of former Kyuss members. The band's members often changed during this time.

Rated R Album (2000–2001)

The album Rated R was released in 2000. Many musicians who knew Homme and Oliveri helped with the album. These included Mark Lanegan, drummers Nick Lucero and Gene Trautmann, and guitarists Dave Catching. Even Judas Priest singer Rob Halford made a guest appearance.

Josh Homme in August 2003

The album received good reviews and became very popular. One of its songs, "Feel Good Hit of the Summer," caused some discussion. Despite this, the album's success led the band to open for groups like The Smashing Pumpkins and Foo Fighters. They also played at the Ozzfest festival in 2000. Homme said the band wanted to create music with a lot of different sounds. He wanted the band to be able to play any type of song.

After working on Rated R, Lanegan became a full-time member of the band. He stayed until 2005. Towards the end of the Rated R tour, the band had a difficult show at a festival in Germany. Homme said it was their "worst show ever." To remember it, some band members got tattoos of the show's start time: "Freitag 4:15."

Songs for the Deaf and Wider Fame (2001–2004)

Dave Grohl, known from Foo Fighters and Nirvana, joined the band in late 2001. He played drums for their third album, Songs for the Deaf. This album was released in August 2002 and again featured Lanegan. After the album came out, Troy Van Leeuwen joined the band for touring.

Nick Oliveri, bassist 1998–2004, performing with the band at the 2003 V Festival

Homme said the album was meant to sound "bizarre." He compared it to a long drive where you feel like you're letting go.

Songs for the Deaf was a big hit with critics. It sold over 900,000 copies. The songs "No One Knows" and "Go with the Flow" became popular on radio and MTV. "No One Knows" and "Go with the Flow" were also featured in popular video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. "Go with the Flow" was later added to Fortnite Festival. Other songs from the album were used in video games and movies.

The Songs for the Deaf tour ended in Australia in January 2004. Grohl returned to his other projects. Joey Castillo became the new full-time drummer. After the tour, Homme decided to part ways with Oliveri. Homme considered ending the band, but he found new strength to continue. Oliveri later said his relationship with Homme was good and that the new Queens album was great. Oliveri later sang backing vocals on the band's sixth album, ...Like Clockwork.

Lullabies to Paralyze (2004–2006)

The band performing live, August 25, 2005, in Paris, France. Included in this performance are two bandmates from the band Eleven, Alain Johannes and the late Natasha Shneider, who joined the line-up for Lullabies to Paralyze and the supporting tour.

In late 2004, Homme, along with Eleven musician Alain Johannes, Van Leeuwen, and Castillo, recorded the band's fourth album. It was called Lullabies to Paralyze. The title came from a lyric in a song from their previous album. The album featured guest musicians, including ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. Lanegan also sang on some tracks and joined the tour when he could.

Lullabies to Paralyze was released on March 22, 2005, in the US. It debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Music Chart. This was the band's highest debut until ...Like Clockwork reached number 1 in 2013.

On May 14, 2005, the band was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. They played their song "Little Sister."

On November 22, 2005, Queens of the Stone Age released a live album and DVD set. It was called Over the Years and Through the Woods. It included a concert filmed in London and other videos. In 2005, the band supported Nine Inch Nails on their North American tour. Homme said that the Lullabies period was a challenging time for the band.

Era Vulgaris and a Sad Loss (2007–2008)

Joey Castillo and Josh Homme when the band performed at the Southside Festival in Germany, June 2007

On Valentine's Day 2007, the band announced their new album would be called Era Vulgaris. It was released in June. Homme described the album as "dark, hard, and electrical." He said he wanted to try new singing styles.

Bassist Michael Shuman and keyboardist Dean Fertita joined the band for touring. In July 2007, Van Leeuwen said the band had new music ideas. Homme later suggested these might be released as an EP (a short album). However, the record label decided not to release another QOTSA album at that time.

Queens of the Stone Age performing at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park, September 14, 2007

The band started a North American tour in 2007. They called it the "Duluth Tour" because they visited many smaller towns. The tour also went to the United Kingdom and Australia. In November 2007, Queens of the Stone Age played a special acoustic show in an underground salt mine in Germany. A DVD of this concert was planned, but it was not released.

On July 2, 2008, Natasha Shneider, a former keyboardist for Queens of the Stone Age, passed away at age 52. The band's website showed a memorial message from Homme. The band held a concert in Los Angeles on August 16, 2008, to celebrate Natasha Shneider's life. Many musicians joined them on stage, including her husband Alain Johannes, Tenacious D, and PJ Harvey. The money from the concert helped with Shneider's medical costs.

In August 2008, Queens of the Stone Age played the last shows of their Era Vulgaris tour in the UK. Josh Homme announced that he would return to the studio to work on the next album.

Health Challenges and Re-releases (2009–2011)

During 2009 and 2010, the band members worked on other projects. Troy Van Leeuwen started a new band called Sweethead. Joey Castillo played for Eagles of Death Metal. Michael Shuman continued with his band Mini Mansions. Dean Fertita joined Jack White's group, The Dead Weather. Josh Homme formed a supergroup called Them Crooked Vultures with Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones.

After Them Crooked Vultures finished touring, Queens of the Stone Age released a special two-CD version of Rated R on August 3, 2010. This edition included the original album plus extra songs and live recordings.

In 2010, Josh Homme faced serious health issues. This experience made him think about stopping music. However, he recovered, and this time greatly influenced the writing and recording of their album ...Like Clockwork.

After Homme recovered, Queens of the Stone Age released a new version of their first album in early 2011. They played the entire album on a special tour. The band performed on Conan and at the Australian music festival Soundwave. They also played at various European festivals, including Glastonbury Festival. Their last show with drummer Joey Castillo was in September 2011.

Matador Records Albums (2011–Present)

...Like Clockwork (2011–2014)

Josh Homme and Michael Shuman performing in 2011

The band had been talking about a new album since 2008, but recording didn't start until August 2012. In March 2011, Homme said that rehearsing their first album was shaping the new one. He said it was turning into a "trancey, broken thing." He expected the album to be finished by the end of 2012.

In November 2011, Alain Johannes mentioned that they were working on the new Queens of the Stone Age album. He said it was "super top secret, but it's going to be amazing."

In November 2012, Homme announced that Joey Castillo had left the band. Dave Grohl, who played on Songs for the Deaf, played drums on the new album. Other former members like Nick Oliveri, Alain Johannes, and Mark Lanegan also contributed. Many other musicians collaborated on ...Like Clockwork, including Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails and Elton John.

In early 2013, Homme and other Queens contributors worked on the soundtrack for Dave Grohl's film Sound City: Real to Reel. Homme collaborated with Grohl and Trent Reznor on a song called "Mantra."

Queens of the Stone Age at the Allstate Arena, December 11, 2013

In March 2013, Queens of the Stone Age announced the new album, ...Like Clockwork, would be released in June 2013. It featured more guest appearances, including Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys. The album also included performances by former drummer Castillo and new drummer Jon Theodore. Queens of the Stone Age played a new song, "My God Is The Sun," at a festival in Brazil. This was Theodore's first live performance with the band.

...Like Clockwork was released on June 3, 2013. It was the first Queens of the Stone Age album to feature full contributions from bassist Michael Shuman and keyboardist/guitarist Dean Fertita. The album debuted at number one in the US, a first for the band.

The ...Like Clockwork tour ended with a Halloween party in Los Angeles. Nick Oliveri joined the band on stage for some songs during the encore.

Villains (2014–2018)

The band performing at Wembley in November 2017

The band performed with Nine Inch Nails, Lindsey Buckingham, and Dave Grohl at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. They also went on a joint tour of Australia with Nine Inch Nails in 2014.

In January 2014, Homme told Rolling Stone magazine that the band would start recording a new album after their tour. In June 2014, Homme played a new song called "Villains of Circumstance" at a solo acoustic show. In February 2015, the band hinted they were about to record a new album. However, in March 2016, Michael Shuman said the band was on a break.

During this time, band members worked on other projects. Josh Homme and Dean Fertita worked on Iggy Pop's 2016 album. Troy van Leeuwen joined the supergroup Gone Is Gone. In May 2016, Van Leeuwen announced plans to record the band's seventh album "sometime this year."

In January 2017, Troy Sanders from Mastodon said Queens of the Stone Age would release a new album later that year. The band then posted photos from their studio and announced festival performances. On June 14, 2017, Queens of the Stone Age announced their new album Villains, which was released on August 25, 2017. The first song from the album, "The Way You Used to Do," was released the next day.

On October 24, 2017, the band headlined Madison Square Garden for the first time. Homme said he was "stoked" about it.

In Times New Roman... and Alive in the Catacombs (2019–Present)

Queens of the Stone Age playing at Aftershock Festival 2023.

In early May 2023, rumors about a new album began when a listing for In Times New Roman... appeared on the band's website. On May 11, the album's first song, "Emotion Sickness," was released. The album was officially announced at the same time. On May 31, "Carnavoyeur" was released, followed by "Paper Machete" on June 14. The full album was released on June 16. The album featured guest vocals from Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders.

In early June 2023, Queens of the Stone Age announced a big North American tour called "The End Is Nero Tour." This was followed by a European tour. In July 2024, the band had to cancel some European shows because Homme needed surgery. More shows were cancelled or postponed to 2025 because Homme needed more medical care.

On May 13, 2025, the band announced a concert film called Alive in the Catacombs. It was released digitally on June 5. The live performance was recorded in July 2024 in the Paris Catacombs. The band played acoustic versions of their songs with a string section. They were the first band allowed to play inside the catacombs. The band also announced a short tour of historic North American theaters. This tour featured new arrangements of songs, similar to the live album.

After the release of In Times New Roman..., Homme said he wanted to start working on new music quickly. At the end of Alive in the Catacombs, a new song called "Insignificant Other" was heard in the credits.

Band's Music Style

Queens of the Stone Age's music has been described as alternative rock, stoner rock, alternative metal, and hard rock. Homme has called their first album "driving music" with strong, repeated guitar parts. Rolling Stone magazine noted a connection between early 1970s American rock and German rock.

Their album Rated R used more instruments and had many guest musicians. Homme, Oliveri, and Lanegan all sang lead vocals. Homme said, "Our first record showed our sound. This one added that we're different and weird." The band continued to try new things on Songs for the Deaf. This album also had three lead singers and many guest appearances. It used a wide range of instruments, including horn and string sections.

Homme has called Lullabies to Paralyze a "dark" album. It uses ideas from The Brothers Grimm folk and fairy tales. In 2005, Homme said that starting in a dark place and reaching for light makes the music not depressing. The album's sound changed from their earlier "driving" style. On Era Vulgaris, the band added more dance-like and electronic influences. Homme became the only lead singer and used more distinct vocal melodies.

Homme has often described the band's music as "rock versions of electronic music." He gets ideas from the repeated patterns in electronic trance music and other dance music styles. He also takes inspiration from hip hop, trip hop, and Krautrock. He once called this mix of heavy rock and electronic structure "robot rock."

Homme has also talked about his unique guitar playing. He showed a "Josh Homme scale," which he developed over years of playing. He mentioned that polka guitar styles and Jimi Hendrix influenced his playing.

Band Members

Albums

Studio Albums

• Queens of the Stone Age (1998)
• Rated R (2000)
• Songs for the Deaf (2002)
• Lullabies to Paralyze (2005)
• Era Vulgaris (2007)
• ...Like Clockwork (2013)
• Villains (2017)
• In Times New Roman... (2023)

Tours

• 

  Queens of the Stone Age Tour Buses at Viejas Arena - December 15, 2023
• Queens of the Stone Age Tour (1998–1999)
• Rated R Tour (2000–2001)
• Songs for the Deaf Tour (2002–2004)
• Lullabies to Paralyze Tour (2005–2006)
• Era Vulgaris Tour (2007–2008)
• Queens of the Stone Age Re-Release Tour (2011)
• ...Like Clockwork Tour (2013–14)
• Villains World Tour (2017–2018)
• The End Is Nero Tour (2023-2025)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Queens of the Stone Age para niños

• Palm Desert Scene