In a new interview with Revolver, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE frontman Josh Homme said that he was "dealing with a lot of stuff" in his personal life during the making of the band's upcoming album "In Times New Roman…", including going through a messy, acrimonious divorce with Brody Dalle in 2019 and being diagnosed with cancer in 2022. Homme didn't go into detail about the cancer other than to say that he underwent successful surgery to remove it, though he's still healing.
"I never say it can't get any worse," he said. "I never say that, and I wouldn't advise it. But I do say it can get better," Homme told Revolver. "Cancer is just the cherry on top of an interesting time period, you know? I'm extremely thankful that I'll get through this, and I'll look back at this as something that's fucked up — but will have made me better. I'm cool with that. There's a lot of stuff I want to do. And there's a lot of people I want to do that with."
Homme went on to say that all the recent personal challenges have made him stronger.
"I definitely had a serious case of emotion sickness," he said, referencing one of the songtitles on "In Times New Roman…". "There were times I almost didn't make it. It's okay for me to ruminate on that. It's not okay to stay there, feel too sorry for myself. This has been the darkest four years of my life. But that's okay, too. In the heartaches, my mistakes, these deaths and my own physical things I'm dealing with — even though all that has occurred and smashed my old life to pieces, those pieces I've been able to build into a ship that's about to launch. I will float into my new life from all those pieces."
"In Times New Roman…" will be available digitally and physically on June 16 via Matador Records. The LP was recorded and mixed at Homme's own Pink Duck (RIP),with additional recording at Shangri-La. The album was produced by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and mixed by Mark Rankin. The album will be available across all digital platforms and on vinyl and CD. Artwork and double LP gatefold packaging designed by longtime collaborator Boneface. LP vinyl will be available globally in black, green, red, silver and blue.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE said in its album announcement that the record reflects the heartache its members have experienced in the past few years.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's last album, 2017's "Villains", debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE will embark on a North American tour this summer. The trek will kick off on August 3 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The East Coast leg of the tour will feature support from PHANTOGRAM and THE ARMED. VIAGRA BOYS and Jehnny Beth will support on the Midwest and West Coast dates.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE performed live for the first time in more than three years on May 26 at the Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to the Columbus gig, Josh Homme and his bandmates played one gig in early 2020, their first since 2018.
(Source: www.blabbermouth.net)