Queens of the Stone Age facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age performing in November 2017. Left to right: Dean Fertita, Josh Homme, Jon Theodore, and Michael Shuman. Not pictured: Troy Van Leeuwen.
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 Nick Oliveri Mark Lanegan Gene Trautmann Dave Grohl Joey Castillo Alain Johannes Natasha Shneider

Queens of the Stone Age (often called QOTSA) is an American rock band. It started in 1996 in Seattle, Washington. 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 band includes Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen (guitar, keyboard, backing vocals), Michael Shuman (bass, keyboard, backing vocals), Dean Fertita (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), and Jon Theodore (drums). Queens of the Stone Age is known for its unique sound. This sound mixes blues, Krautrock, and electronica with strong guitar riffs and rhythms. Josh Homme's high-pitched vocals and special guitar styles also make their music stand out.

The band formed after Homme's old band, Kyuss, broke up. Their first album, Queens of the Stone Age, was made with former Kyuss drummer Alfredo Hernández. Bassist Nick Oliveri joined for the tour and became a co-lead singer. Their second album, Rated R, was their first with a major record label, Interscope Records. It was very successful and included the popular song "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret".

The band's third album, Songs for the Deaf, came out in 2002. It featured Dave Grohl on drums and was highly praised. After Oliveri and Mark Lanegan left, Homme became the only lead singer. The band then released Lullabies to Paralyze (2005) and Era Vulgaris (2007).

After a break, the band signed with Matador Records in 2013. They released three albums: ...Like Clockwork (2013), Villains (2017), and In Times New Roman... (2023). These albums were very popular. ...Like Clockwork was their first album to reach number one in the U.S. The band has been nominated for Grammy Awards nine times.

Band History

How the Band Started (1996–1999)

After his band Kyuss ended in 1995, Josh Homme joined Screaming Trees for a short time. Then, he decided to start a new band called Gamma Ray. In 1996, they released an EP (a short album) also called Gamma Ray. This EP included songs like "Born to Hula."

Gamma Ray changed its name in 1997. This happened because another band with the same name, a German power metal group, threatened to sue them. The name "Queens of the Stone Age" came from a nickname given to Kyuss by their producer, Chris Goss. Homme explained the name: "Kings would be too tough. Queens of the Stone Age hang out with the Kings' girlfriends. Rock should be heavy for boys and sweet for girls. This makes it more fun for everyone."

The first song released under the Queens of the Stone Age name was "18 A.D." The band's first live show was on November 20, 1997, in Seattle. In December, they released a split EP with Kyuss.

Queens of the Stone Age released their first album, Queens of the Stone Age, in 1998. Josh Homme played guitar and bass on the album. Alfredo Hernández played drums. Soon after, former Kyuss bassist Nick Oliveri joined the band. The band's lineup often changed after this.

Rated R Album (2000–2001)

Josh Homme in August 2003

The album Rated R came out in 2000. Many musicians who knew Homme and Oliveri helped make this album. Drummers Nick Lucero and Gene Trautmann played on it. Guitarists Dave Catching and Brendon McNichol also helped. Even Judas Priest singer Rob Halford sang on the song "Feel Good Hit of the Summer."

The album received good reviews and became more popular than their first one. Its success led the band to open for groups like The Smashing Pumpkins and Foo Fighters. They also played at Ozzfest in 2000. Homme said about their music:

There's a robotic element to our albums, like the repetition of riffs. We also wanted to do a record that had a lot of dynamic range. We wanted to set it up in this band so we could play anything. We don't want to get roped in by our own music. If anyone has a good song (regardless of style) we should be able to play it.

After working on Rated R, former Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan joined the band full-time. He stayed until 2005. Towards the end of the Rated R tour, the band had a very bad show at the 2001 Rock am Ring festival in Germany. Homme said it was their "worst show ever." Because of this, some band members got tattoos of the show's starting time, "Freitag 4:15."

Songs for the Deaf and Mainstream Success (2001–2004)

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

Dave Grohl, the drummer for Foo Fighters and former drummer for Nirvana, joined in late 2001. He played drums for the band's third album, Songs for the Deaf. This album was released in August 2002 and also featured Lanegan. After the album came out, guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen joined the touring band.

Homme described the album's sound:

This record was supposed to sound bizarre—like lightning in a bottle... It even sounds that way to me, like a crazy person. The radio interludes are supposed to be like the drive from L.A. to Joshua Tree, a drive that makes you feel like you're letting go—more David Lynch with every mile.

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" was also in the video game Guitar Hero. "Go with the Flow" was in Rock Band and Fortnite. Other songs from the album were used in games like Tony Hawk's Underground and Jak X: Combat Racing.

After the Songs for the Deaf tour, Grohl returned to his other projects. Joey Castillo became the new full-time drummer. After the tour, Oliveri left the band. Homme thought about ending the band but decided to keep going. Oliveri later said his relationship with Homme was good, and he even contributed to a later Queens of the Stone Age album, ...Like Clockwork, nine years later.

Lullabies to Paralyze (2004–2006)

The band performing live, August 25, 2005, in Paris, France. This performance included Alain Johannes and the late Natasha Shneider, who joined for Lullabies to Paralyze and its 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 line in a song from their previous album. The album featured guest musicians like ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. Mark 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 reached 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. A famous character, Gene Frenkle, played cowbell with the band during their song "Little Sister."

On November 22, 2005, Queens of the Stone Age released a live album and DVD set called Over the Years and Through the Woods. It showed a concert filmed in London, England. In 2005, the band toured with Nine Inch Nails. Homme said that the Lullabies era was a difficult time for the band, but the album helped them move forward after Oliveri's departure.

Era Vulgaris and a Sad Loss (2007–2008)

Joey Castillo and Josh Homme performing 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."

Bassist Michael Shuman and keyboardist Dean Fertita joined the band for touring. In July 2007, Van Leeuwen said the band had new song 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 called the "Duluth Tour." They played in many smaller towns they had not visited before. 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 never released.

On July 2, 2008, the band's former keyboardist, Natasha Shneider, passed away at age 52. The band's website showed a message from Homme remembering her. The band held a concert on August 16, 2008, to celebrate Natasha Shneider's life. Many musicians joined them on stage, including Jack Black and PJ Harvey. Money from the concert helped with costs related to Natasha's illness.

The Era Vulgaris tour ended in August 2008. Josh Homme announced that he would return to the studio to work on the next album.

New Music and Challenges (2009–2011)

During 2009 and 2010, band members worked on other projects. Troy Van Leeuwen started a 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.

In 2010, Homme faced a serious health issue during knee surgery. His heart stopped for a short time. After this, he was in bed for four months and went through a very difficult time. He even thought about quitting music. Homme later said this experience greatly influenced the writing of their album ...Like Clockwork.

After Homme recovered, Queens of the Stone Age re-released their first album in early 2011. They played the entire album on a special tour. The band performed on Conan and at festivals like Soundwave in Australia and Glastonbury Festival in the UK. These were their last shows with drummer Joey Castillo.

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. Recording finally began in August 2012. Homme said the new album would be "trancey" and "broken." He also said it would be finished by the end of 2012.

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

In March 2013, Queens of the Stone Age announced the new album, ...Like Clockwork, would be released in June 2013. It would be on Matador Records. The album also featured performances by new drummer Jon Theodore. Queens of the Stone Age played a new song, "My God Is The Sun," at Lollapalooza Brasil on March 30, 2013. This was Theodore's first live show with the band.

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

...Like Clockwork was released on June 3, 2013, in the UK and June 4 in the United States. The band produced it themselves. It was the first Queens of the Stone Age album to have full contributions from bassist Michael Shuman and keyboardist Dean Fertita. The album debuted at number one in the US, a first for the band.

After a show at the Jay Z-owned Made In America Festival in 2013, Homme spoke about the event. He said his band was searched by security, which he found unusual. He also mentioned that Jay Z offered them champagne for a photo, which Homme saw as a marketing trick, not a gift. He then broke the bottle.

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

Villains (2014–2018)

The band performing at Wembley in November 2017

The band performed with Nine Inch Nails and Dave Grohl at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. They also toured Australia together 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 helped with Iggy Pop's 2016 album Post Pop Depression. Troy van Leeuwen joined the supergroup Gone Is Gone. In May 2016, Van Leeuwen said the band planned to record their seventh album that 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 studio photos and announced shows in Japan, their first since 2003. On April 6, 2017, they updated their social media with a new logo and announced a tour in Australia and New Zealand.

On June 14, 2017, Queens of the Stone Age announced their new album, Villains. It was released on August 25, 2017. A funny video trailer for the album featured producer Mark Ronson. The first song, "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. This was a big moment for them. Three free tickets to this show were hidden at subway stations in New York City.

In Times New Roman... (2019–Present)

Queens of the Stone Age playing at Aftershock Festival 2023.

In June 2019, Billy Gibbons said he had worked on a new Queens of the Stone Age album. He also mentioned that Dave Grohl was involved. However, Grohl later said he and Homme had only spent time together riding motorcycles and eating waffles.

In May 2023, rumors about a new album started when a listing for In Times New Roman... appeared on the band's website. It included an album cover and tracklist. The listing was quickly removed.

On May 11, the album's first song, "Emotion Sickness," was released. The album was officially announced at the same time. On May 31, the second song, "Carnavoyeur," came out. The third and final song, "Paper Machete," was released on June 14, just before the album's release on June 16.

In early June, Queens of the Stone Age announced a big North American tour called "The End Is Nero Tour." This was followed by a European tour. A 2024 tour for Australia, New Zealand, and North America is also planned.

Musical Style

The band's music has been called alternative rock, stoner rock, alternative metal, and hard rock. Homme described their first album as "driving music" with strong, repeated guitar riffs. Rolling Stone magazine noted a mix of early 1970s American rock and German Krautrock.

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." They continued to experiment on Songs for the Deaf, which also had three lead singers and many guest appearances.

Homme called Lullabies to Paralyze a "dark" album. It was inspired by The Brothers Grimm folk and fairy tales. The album's sound was different from their earlier "driving" style, partly because Oliveri had left. For 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 said the band's music is "rock versions of electronic music." He gets ideas from the repeated patterns in electronic trance music, dance music, hip hop, trip hop, and Krautrock. He called this mix of heavy rock and electronic structure "robot rock."

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

Band Members

Discography

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 (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)

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Queens of the Stone Tour Buses at Viejas Arena - December 15, 2023

See also

In Spanish: Queens of the Stone Age para niños

• Palm Desert Scene