Queens of the Stone Age released their new LP Lullabies to Paralyze a few months back. It encountered many reviews of various opinions. This opinion is that their latest album is their best yet. It blends elements of blues, rock, metal, sound-scapes, hoochy-coochy stompin' and marchin' and everything in between! Josh Homme was kind enough to answer a few questions in between shows around Europe.

On Lullabies to Paralyze you pull some great guitar sounds. When you were recording was the sound you wanted in your head, or did you just go through your guitar rack and find it?

The reason I love working in the studio so much is because it’s the moment when you get the chance to actualize the sounds in your head. I always experiment with equipment & prefer to use the quirky stuff incorrectly. That way, no one can trace your sonic footsteps. But all of that experimentation is built on top of my bread & butter, workhorse equipment.

Whilst in the studio do you like to get behind the desk and start pushing faders and playing with rack gear? Or do you leave that up to your engineer/producer?

The studio is a place for me to learn. The reason I like being there is because I’m getting behind the desk, moving faders, EQ’ing, compressing & the lot. I don’t want to lose the opportunity to impact my music. I’ve, with one exception, always worked with people that enjoy that collaborative process. The exchange of secrets & tips & old school technique or the explanations of new technology. I see no reason to have my love of the process be taken or given away to a stranger. How could this stranger know the How’s? & the Why’s?

Have you any aspiration to produce or engineer other bands in the future?

Producing records is what I’m gonna start to do more of. I enjoy working with bands that have a vision. They don’t need to have defined themselves to atom sized detail, but at least understand who they are & where they wanna go. I love being able to adapt to someone else’s world. It’s such a relief to work with someone who knows when to say nothing at all or allow you to fall down a little, find your musical answer on the floor, get up & go for it again with a newly experienced understanding. I like helping people with that possibility. You know, shield a band from outsiders with meddling hands, so that they can make their record with the passion I get to make mine with. When a band gets to be themselves & record “their vision” on their terms, it’ll be a classic record.

A while ago you described your new video as being like Italian Porn! A few internet sites took this as a serious quote. Do you think people misunderstand your sense of humor sometimes?

If I wasn’t misquoted so much, you’d not only know I’m funny but find me attractive as well. Our web girl, Dr. Insider, asked us what the new video was gonna be like & all of us yelled out different bullshit comments. Of course mine was immediately written in stone. Shit, I wish it was more like Italian porn because I just saw it and it sucks. I think it’s the first video we’ve been in that looks so fucking “normal”. Like a God damn jeans commercial. The director got all bent outta shape but, we’d be better off if he had rented some Italian porn. I promise, from this day forth, to address these serious issues in the same, stick up the ass manner that I see so frequently from other pretentious bastards. Note to self: learn lesson from letting someone else make video without any band input whatsoever.

After seeing the video for ‘Someone’s in the Wolf’, I couldn’t help but think that you’re taking the piss out of the movie “Dances with Wolves.” If not, why not? What Level of input did you have on your videos?

In the ‘wolf’ video, we were takin the piss outta your childhood, not Dances w/ wolves. I thought it was obvious. We had a lot of input on that. It was fun to run around the woods for 3 days making something that is different. Gotta admit, whether you’re scratching your head or jerkin off to it… We made ya look.

Knowing the personal and financial commitment required to make a record, how do you feel about illegal downloading of your work from the internet?

We are a band that allows taping (both audio & video) of all our live concerts by the fans. We have a massive network of traders & collectors of concerts dating back to Kyuss. It’s one of the things that’s always connected us to our audience. I dig that. It’s the up-loader of our studio recordings who is the asshole of the year recipient. I don’t go down to the corner where they work & slap the dick outta their mouth, so what gives them the right to so hugely impact something that is not theirs in the first place. The downloader I kinda understand. They wanna hear it & it’s there…right there. It seems a bit spoiled & unfair of the people we support, but technology is what it is. I hope that a fan wants to take a chance on us. Compared to the risks we take trying to do something cool they’ve never heard before, it ain’t asking much.

On Lullabies… you were lucky enough to work with Billy Gibbons (ZZ top). Will Billy be a part of your plans on another desert sessions project? If not Billy, who?

I think that’s a great idea. I’ll think about that. I wanna make sweet music with Peaches.

I also noticed that Jack Black (Tenacious D) appeared briefly in the DVD that accompanied your new album. How did you hook up with him?

I’ve known Jack for 3 or 4 years. He’s a great guy & he was stopping by to say “hi” & ended up a’ stompin’ & a’ marchin’. He’s a bad ass musician/singer/whatever-er. He’s also a very sexy man.

Many of us look up to you as a musician and songwriter. If you could play with anyone, who would it be?

If I could play with anyone, then I’d choose everyone. I love the interaction, seeing how to do the same thing a different way, how to do a different thing altogether. I know only one thing for sure: I don’t know shit. So, that makes the experience of collaboration a menagerie of Badassery.

On which tracks from Lullabies to Paralyze can listeners hear your custom Maton Guitars?

Any track they’re listening to except the first & the last.

What do you listen to when you’re driving?

The sound …of silence

What about when you’re drinking?

Drinking what?

Favorite drink?

Tang! The Astronauts drank it in space.

As a 12 year old I had Curt Cobain and Pearl Jam posters all over my wall. Whose posters were stuck on your wall?

All the lyric sheets & dust sleeve collages from my Vinyl collection.

Your first Car was a…?

…was & still is a 1967 Chevy Camaro.

What is your most prized possession?

My slave boy, Ba.

What’s the motto that you live by?

I got 2 of ‘em:

1) If someone asks you what time it is, tell ‘em”now”. It’s the only one that matters.

2) If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

Check out www.qotsa.com for info on tour dates