As a teenager in Palm Desert, California, Josh Homme and his friends would jam on their guitars, like many young people in the ’80s chasing their dreams. Unlike others who might scratch their musical itch in a garage, Homme’s first band, Kyuss, forged their sound in the vast desert, away from prying eyes and ears. This open environment was instrumental in crafting the band’s signature “stoner rock.”
By the mid-’90s, just as Kyuss was gaining wider recognition, a 21-year-old Homme began to be drawn to a totally different style—one that was raw, intense, and more constricted. Living in the desert had its wonders, but the allure of new sounds was tempting him even from a basement in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
This new focus was not something he encountered for the first time; rather, it came in the form of the iconic Iggy Pop and his groundbreaking band, the Stooges. Homme stumbled upon their music in 1994, and it rocked his world just as it had done for many fans two decades earlier.
The Stooges’ 1973 album, Raw Power, became a beacon for Homme, who later described it to Rolling Stone as the essential sound of rock ’n’ roll: “If you play Raw Power first, your ‘Craziest Band Ever’ will sound like a bunch of amateurs.” However, it was Iggy Pop’s 1977 solo album, The Idiot, that profoundly impacted Homme, calling it a “revelation” and a “punch in the face.” This inspiration led him to leave Kyuss and form Queens of the Stone Age, aiming to capture the spirit of Iggy’s music.
Eventually, word of Homme’s story likely reached Iggy, or perhaps he became a fan of Queens of the Stone Age himself. Either way, the Godfather of Punk reached out in 2014 with a text that proposed collaboration: “I think we should work on something together.” Homme described that moment as “the pinnacle of my artistic journey.” He felt an overwhelming sense of validation, thinking that all his past experiences had led him to this pivotal point.
Their collaboration flourished, resulting in one of the most successful albums of Iggy Pop’s long career, Post Pop Depression, released in 2016. Homme expressed his admiration for Iggy, noting that there was no one like him. When the two worked together, Homme appreciated the unique perspective of a 69-year-old rock pioneer, and Iggy had much to share.
Their partnership didn’t end with the album; Homme joined Iggy on tour, performing classics that had once shaped his musical identity, including tracks from The Idiot and Lust for Life. He approached these performances with a sense of reverence, as if he were curating an exhibit at the Smithsonian.
In reflecting on his journey, it is clear that Josh Homme’s artistic evolution is as dynamic and captivating as the music he creates.
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