F THE EEN O QU GE A TVL Or twiddling! E It feels good and we try not to let it colour what we do too much. It is nice to have I like twiddling. Tweaking has a different people like what you do… Sure, I think we are connotation to it. STONalways changing. That’s my favourite thing about some of the artists that inspire me; they’re always able to reinvent themselves. Moving away from tweaking and twiddling for There’s certain cases like say AC/DC who have a moment, rumour had it that the album was never re-invented themselves and are still inspired, at least lyrically or thematically by ‘bad-ass’. I like that idea, but with the Queens regular drives through Hollywood. it’s supposed to morph and evolve, expand and adapt. With this record especially we didn’t’t have anything written when we went into the Well, all of us are out of the epicentre of studio, we gave ourselves the chance to fail Hollywood. Myself and Josh moved to a place and figure things out, to push some buttons called ‘The Valley’. It is a very suburban area and stretch some boundaries. of Hollywood. You’re spending a lot of time in your car and everyday you come out of there listening to what you did. And it’s normally Not Stoner Rock then… Word was that the Queens had changed their about 5 or 6 in the morning and there’s all the working method for this album, and that the stragglers from bars, street cleaners and other ‘The term sucks. The only element band had assembled beforehand with the dark life that happens when everyone else is in of the audience I want to get rid instruction to bring some source of inspiration bed. So yeah, I would say that is correct. of is the shirtless, sweaty, maxi- which might jog the creative process. mullet jock dudes. We want sex to bleed into the music. At our shows, The albums cartoon cover almost generated as we want to see half boys and half Well, we always sort of do that, movies, much chatter as its title, ‘Era Vulgaris’. girls in a utopian world, dancing maybe art, books of art. Any kind of vinyl. We and drinking.’ Josh Homme had an extra room set up where we just watch It’s definitely a topic of conversation that we movies. Full Metal Jacket, Scarface, especially that’s all we are trying to do. We usually have Following their poor show at Rock am Ring in There’s nothing like playing to your own like. It’s never been that way for Queens record Kubrick movies, music is a big key to it. I don’t guests, you know and we try and provide a Germany 2001, Homme, Nick Oliveri, and on/ crowd and getting back that energy, but covers and artworks, (which) have always been Well, not much has changed in ten years. know what it is called but we watched this comfortable environment for people that off singer Mark Lanegan had the date there is something about getting out there pretty basic. It sort of came about when we That’s still the goal and the band clearly went great Captain Beefheart documentary. We’d we respect. I love The Strokes and like Trent and trying to reach more people too. It’s a were thinking how we going to sell this thing? watch stuff and then we’d go out and play and Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. I think we are all bit of a challenge. some way to achieving it at this years Rock And you know we are looking at this era of work stuff out. It’s not all easy for us, there‘s learning something from it. I like different and start time for the gig tattooed on their a Field where, if not exactly a Utopia, there advertising of the 50s and 60s and cartoon got to be a struggle there, I think we all elements and chemistry. I would love to see ribs, so as never to forget it. Serious about was no scarcity of boys and girls drinking and characters were selling products like alcohol understand that. Jimmy Page do something with us. Tom Waites giving good shows then, and not above a bit With so many comings and goings and side and cigarettes. Fred Flintstone selling Camel dancing. is a big influence and Bowie would be a great of competition. projects all running along simultaneously it cigarettes. So we figured we’d like somebody collaborator. can be difficult keeping up with what the like that to sell our record and that’s where If the Queens had some difficulties in getting Not having anything written before entering the Queens will do next, and who’ll be doing it. Bulby and Patchy the Pirate came in. to the field, it was as nothing compared with studio meant the recording process for the album I’d say we are pretty lucky. For example, I More a musical collective almost than a band took much longer than normal, a year in fact. getting into the backstage area for journos. Given their fearlessness in casting around for like playing with bands that give you a run in the conventional sense, they’ve guests, no-one would be surprised if the band for your money. Like The Hives, they are a been referred to as “musical misfits”… However, Upfront is nothing if not persistent, Though the reviews for ‘Vulgaris’, were did something completely off the wall and great live band, that gives us the chance to overwhelmingly good, critics seemed to be and persist we did. We managed to track down I never thought I would spend a year recording invited say, Britney, to do a spot on the next say, ‘Yeah, great, fine, we are going to try divided about the overall sound of the album. Queens guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen to ask him a record in the studio and going there every album. and outdo you guys.’ I like playing with bands Musical misfits... I think that’s great, sure. about new album ‘Era Vulgaris‘, working with day. I can’t say I loved every minute of it, but I like that. I hope to do more of that, perhaps Yes I’m happy with that let’s just call loved most of it. You know it’s a lot of waiting a double headline tour with The Hives or The ourselves musical misfits. ‘guests’, competition on the road and the I think it is a dirty record. I really wanted it to and figuring and sound wise there’s a lot of Yeah… I’m not afraid...maybe Justin White Stripes. importance of twiddling. sound big and well produced and Josh really experimenting going on and sometimes it takes Timberlake, he’s got a great voice. He’s a wanted it trashy, and I think we captured both. time to find it and sometimes you don’t find it. great talent. I admire that. Who twiddle! You can definitely see the dirt in some of it. The critical reception for ‘Era Vulgaris’, Jamming or messing with the gear you know... The single ‘Sick, Sick, Sick’, was one of the what we call tweaking. Who twiddle a lot, yes. the Queens fifth studio album, mentioned a first songs we tracked and we didn’t even have change of direction and was almost universally the right drum mics up. Julian Casablancas, he glowing. Something much appreciated by the came in later and sung on it too. At first a lot band. of people didn’t realise that was him singing and he also plays really good guitar too. It fits INTERVIEW Deborah Causton. in the song, it serves the song, and 1.