Queens of the Stone Age return after three year absence with ‘Easy Street’
Queens of the Stone Age have returned with their first single in three years, titled ‘Easy Street’.
The single, released on Matador Records, debuted live last year during the band’s Catacombs tour and swiftly became a fan favourite at shows. It’s not hard to see why, built with acoustic guitar, a tinny percussion section, and blooming psychedelic synths.
The track, which features Nikki Lane, has been described by frontman Josh Homme as a “funny song; like hitting your funny bone, where it’s funny because it hurts and it hurts because it’s funny. You’re serious, but it’s funny.”
The track is rough around the edges, mirroring the fraught relationship at its lyrical core.
Homme went on, “We made it the way you’d make a demo. No click track, mistakes left in. It speeds up, it slows down, the claps aren’t great, but they’re not bad, and a bad clap adds this human thing you can’t fake.”
If you look at it this way, he added, “It’s not just about silliness. It’s about understanding the imperfection of your life. The song, like your life, is in the mistakes. Its imperfections are unbeatable.”
The symbolic propensity of the track is captured all the more in the accompanying video, directed by Tony Wolski and Christopher Gruse, based on Homme’s idea, which features surprising blood and gore, a mall Santa, and the rest of the band dressed up as themselves.
Elsewhere, Homme recently lent his vocals to a new Shania Twain track, ‘Faded Blue Jeans’, a single taken from her upcoming album, Little Miss Twain.
Queens of the Stone Age are currently on tour with System of a Down in Europe and the UK. Following this, they will head home for their North American stadium tour with Foo Fighters.
Watch the new music video below.
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