Josh Homme

Joshua Michael Homme III (born May 17, 1973), better known as Josh Homme, is an American rock musician, and record producer. He is the guitarist and a founding member of the stoner rock band Kyuss, as well as the founding and only continuous member of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA), in which he sings, plays guitar, and serves as the band's primary songwriter.

Quotes

 * Music is my religion.
 * "JOSHUA HOMME: “IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT’S BEEN SAID, IT’S NEVER BEEN SAID BY ME”", Antiquet (August 27th, 2009)


 * The rules were always there. There was always one rule; don't break the golden rule, which is if someone says that they love your music, so they love you and you're amazing; you're not amazing. You're not amazing. It's not you, they don't know you, you know? It's not that way. So don't believe that. I don't believe that about myself, and I don't believe when someone likes me too much or hates me too much. I don't believe they know what they're talking about.
 * "JOSHUA HOMME: “IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT’S BEEN SAID, IT’S NEVER BEEN SAID BY ME”", Antiquet (August 27th, 2009)


 * I am not a perfectionist at all. I love failure. I love mistakes. I love the bizarre. I love characters. I love missing teeth. I love beauty because your eyes are off-center. And how can you notice that in the buzz of the city? So I like the emptiness.
 * Reported in Jonathan Horsley, "Queens of the Stone Age: Josh Homme Q&A", Decibel Magazine (July 22nd, 2011).


 * I think now is the best thing that you’ll ever get, and that’s all you’ll ever get.
 * Reported in Jonathan Horsley, "Queens of the Stone Age: Josh Homme Q&A", Decibel Magazine (July 22nd, 2011).


 * Music is never wrong. You might not like it, but it’s never wrong. It's such a great way of explaining stuff.
 * Reported in Jay Babcock, "MUSIC IS NEVER WRONG: A visit with Josh Homme & John Paul Jones of Them Crooked Vultures", Arthur Magazine (October 15, 2009).


 * Whenever someone says, 'We're all one,' I've always been like 'No we're not, and that's what's great, so stop saying that or everyone's gonna start believing you.' But yeah, as we all look at the same projection on the wall, we do become one, and I started to realize the horror of that. And I make no attempt to try to alter it from being that; my thing is more about trying to apply some principles of magic—how to walk between the raindrops—and take advantage of a situation like that, because it’s the only choice you have.
 * Reported in Jay Babcock, "MUSIC IS NEVER WRONG: A visit with Josh Homme & John Paul Jones of Them Crooked Vultures", Arthur Magazine (October 15, 2009).


 * My years of reading P.T. Barnum is finally coming into play. [snaps fingers] This notion of saying nothing, of keeping a secret, and doing it in a way that's not elitist but that's like, You wanna come in here and hear? [whispers] We have a secret. That's all that I can tell you. But you're involved. You know?
 * Reported in Jay Babcock, "MUSIC IS NEVER WRONG: A visit with Josh Homme & John Paul Jones of Them Crooked Vultures", Arthur Magazine (October 15, 2009).


 * Music is the best way that I know to say the things that are difficult to say in English. Words get in the way sometimes.
 * Reported in Jay Babcock, "MUSIC IS NEVER WRONG: A visit with Josh Homme & John Paul Jones of Them Crooked Vultures", Arthur Magazine (October 15, 2009).


 * I get scared all the time. I try not to let it have any impact on the decision of whether to do it or not. I think you can separate yourself from your fears. You know what you should do, and it’s just scary to do it. But I’d hate to let the fact that I’m scared to do it make me not do it. It ends up defining you.
 * Reported in Eddy Lawrence, "Josh Homme: Interview", Time Out London (February 5, 2008).


 * Well, I come from a long, long line of smartasses. Smartass is allergic to dumbass. It’s actually a physical allergy, as in you’re repulsed by dumbasses.
 * Reported in Eddy Lawrence, "Josh Homme: Interview", Time Out London (February 5, 2008).


 * Yeah, I can make all the tequila in a bottle disappear. It’s a talent. Nothing comes easy and talent is something you get but, if you don’t develop it, it becomes like an apple; you keep taking bites of it until it’s gone. So you have to plant the seeds. Then you have the orchard. And then you have Jonestown.’
 * Reported in Eddy Lawrence, "Josh Homme: Interview", Time Out London (February 5, 2008).


 * My favorite music is hooky, quirky, arty, dark, surprising, heavy, groovy, soft, emotional but not emo. It wears a sweater because it’s cold, not because it's stylistically there.
 * Reported in Jay Babcock, "JOSHUA HOMME: People say &#91;record&#93; labels are evil. No, they’re just lame.", Arthur Magazine (December 4, 2007).


 * I THINK OF INTERSCOPE AND ALL THESE LABELS AS THE BIGGEST FUCKING IDIOTS ON THE PLANET. And print that in capitals, because they can’t do anything to me.
 * Reported in Jay Babcock, "JOSHUA HOMME: People say &#91;record&#93; labels are evil. No, they’re just lame.", Arthur Magazine (December 4, 2007).


 * And the fact of the matter is that everyone should play music because it's such a beautiful gift. It's my religion. But maybe not everyone should play it in front of me. It's okay to play music in your rocking chair or whatever.
 * Reported in Jay Babcock, "JOSHUA HOMME: People say &#91;record&#93; labels are evil. No, they’re just lame.", Arthur Magazine (December 4, 2007).


 * I'm also beyond pissed, as in not pissed, because I kinda figure they just don’t know better by now. It’s like when a dog shits in the house, you can hit 'em with a paper but they really don’t know what the fuck happened. How can retarded kids know to not throw a Frisbee at the forehead of another retarded kid?
 * Reported in Jay Babcock, "JOSHUA HOMME: People say &#91;record&#93; labels are evil. No, they’re just lame.", Arthur Magazine (December 4, 2007).


 * I think that provided us to do it this time, because it's like okay, we've cleared that air, you know, we're friends and we respect that he's the best rock drummer in the world, you know. You can be as good, but you’re not better than Dave Grohl.
 * "Josh Homme Interview", The Fade.org (Aug. 2002).


 * ...but I'm also a father, a husband and a raging alcoholic...
 * "Josh Homme Talks Tour Superstition", "O2 Academy" (June 2011)


 * It's like catching a fish, you know what I mean? It's the fish that's beautiful, not the fisherman. And I think whoever hasn't understood that attitude in Queens is not here any more. And if I ever think the fisherman's better than the fish, I hope someone fuckin' fires me too.
 * "Dazed & Confused Magazine | Josh Homme | Sept'10", Dazed & Confused Magazine (September 2010)


 * In Kyuss and Queens, we allow people to tape our shows, whether it's audio, video or both. You're doing that tonight, but you're no different than someone who buys the ticket. Because the exchanging of music is what should happen. It's one of the only things I like about The Grateful Dead, it's "do you want a tape from '67 on June 2nd? You can get one". I probably wouldn't like the music on the tape, but it's still possible. My problem is that people sell our live shows for too much money. They should be the cost of the video and shipping. And in turn, MP3 take a record that I've spent money and time and put so much love into, take it, and just give it away. But they make the money. MP3 and Napster, they make tons of money, but they say "Oh, it's about free exchange!", but that just sounds like just another jack-off thief in the dark, that doesn't have guts enough to admit what they're doing. I had someone say something interesting to me in Canada, "Well, would you rather have the label fuck you over, or the fans fuck you over?". And I just said, "Neither!". And when it gets posed to me in such a way I sit there and think, "You know, what am I doing? Maybe I should skip through the countryside, playing flute (?)". Because MP3 certainly is like [stabbing sound and motion]. If you're an unsigned band, then it really helps, but then, you know? I don't wanna censor anyone, and I'm no one's daddy, I'm not going to monitor the internet, but I think there's a moral side to it too; I don't steal from you, you don't steal from me. Seems fair, you know?
 * "4-12-2000 Josh Homme interview" "Phillipshalle, Dusseldorf" (December 4, 2000)


 * But the truth is, I don't have ADD. I have OKHY: OK, hell yeah.
 * "Queens of the Stone Age: Josh Homme comes back from the brink" The Guardian (June 1, 2013)


 * Risk nothing, get nothing. If you wanna be famous, then it's OK if the music is fake, because fame isn't real.
 * "Queens of the Stone Age: Josh Homme comes back from the brink" The Guardian (June 1, 2013)


 * But I like to be a real man because I have a son and a daughter and they should know what that's like. It's OK to not be macho. But it's not OK to be a pussy.
 * "Queens of the Stone Age: Josh Homme comes back from the brink" The Guardian (June 1, 2013)


 * You can't upstroke yourself into toughness.
 * "Josh Homme - Guitar Moves - Episode 3" Noisey (May 29, 2013)


 * (In response to the question; "What are you going to tell a ten year old who wants to play guitar?") For me that's easy; when you expect anything from music, you expect too much. So you play for yourself, you play to enjoy it and you make the most of it for you, period. You don't - I never thought I would be doing this now. I feel so lucky to be doing this now - I can't believe this is what I do all the time. I know I'm not the greatest guitar player in the world, but I just love it. And I hope that's the only reason I'm here, you know? Because I think - I honestly think that that's enough.
 * "Josh Homme - Guitar Moves - Episode 3" Noisey (May 29, 2013)


 * [In response to the question "This record will probably be bigger than the last one, which was bigger than the one before, and so on. How big do you want to be?"] Man, I don't really give a shit. I mean... you know, let me just break it down; I love to play, I'm from a small town in the desert, I never thought I would be here and I just wanna play, man. I don't care if it's big or small, you know? Like, Nick is gone and that affects me the most, because I didn't want it to be that way. And some people are going to be like "Well, I don't like it now!" and to them I say fucking goodbye. This is goodbye. Let me be the first to say it, goodbye. Because all I'm doing is just wanting to just play. I just love to play music, and I like people, you know. And there's all kinds of things that get... shoved into that along the way, but that's not alright with me, you know? So, I want to say most of all, like, I'm just going to just show up and play. I'll let everyone else deal with that because I've already dealt with the hard part, you go ahead and deal with the easy part, whether you want to listen or not. And either way; I understand. Because, when it comes to the Queens, whatever everyone else is dealing with, I've dealt with it already, man. So I'll either be drinking with people after the show or not and it's going to be five, five thousand, five million, or five - I don't give a shit. Because I'm really proud of this record and I put a lot into it, I put what I am into it and after that I can't control it. It's not up to me, it's up to you, you know? And I'm okay with that because when I left the studio I knew I loved this stuff and I got to save my friendship, and both of that is a victory, you know? And the rest is up to you, and I'm okay with that too. So let's get it on.
 * AOL Sessions interview (February 2005)


 * [On "grunge"] Music's music, and the weird thing is Brant [Bjork] has said this before; Soundgarden and those bands and Nirvana, those are great bands, but they did not create rock and roll. This whole "grunge" bullshit that everyone's talking about. "Oh my gosh, it's amazing!", they did not create rock and roll! It is rock and roll music. It's good rock and roll, that's all it is. They did not start something, they don't corner the market on anything. [...] I think it's a shame, because it's a great media tool and it worked. Like, whoever thought of the word "grunge" should be rich by now because it's a great media trip, you know? But it's just all good rock and roll; Soundgarden, Nirvana, all these bands are just good rock and roll bands. People spend too much time categorizing what everything is. Just throw it on your turntable, throw it on you CD player or whatever you have and listen to it. Don't worry about what it is - no one cares, it doesn't matter anymore, you know? That's what should have happened, it shouldn't matter anymore what you are. There's so many, like, "fusion" everything and whatever that it shouldn't matter anymore, you know?
 * Kyuss interview, The Rivoli, Toronto (December 13, 1992)


 * "Punk fusion"… "metal", "alternative"… "grindcore". What the hell is all that stuff?
 * Kyuss interview, The Rivoli, Toronto (December 13, 1992)


 * New Zealand interviewer: What's it like for you guys, has it been "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll", that stuff?
 * Josh: Six drugs? There's been more than that!
 * [All laugh]
 * Josh: I need to hear that question again, I'm sorry.
 * Dave Grohl: Why? That was the best answer you could possibly have given!
 * [Laughter continues]
 * Josh: I wake up in the middle of stuff, sometimes. 'Cause of my condition, y'know.
 * New Zealand interviewer: Which is?
 * Josh: I'm a badass.


 * Them Crooked Vultures interview, New Zealand (2010)

Stage banter
All stage banter is sourced from "Josh Homme Is Awesome".


 * Never heckle Joshua Michael Homme III.


 * Hey you, with the stupid fuckin' tattoo. This ain't a place to fight, you dipshit. You wanna fight, go to a gay bar. Go to a fuckin' gay bar if you wanna fight, you understand? 'Cause I will fuck you in the ass. Ik pak je﻿ klootzak, ik pak je vieze lul! Got me? You better, or you'll get me. Alright, this song goes out that that asshole. Everybody party and have a good time, fuck that dick. Let's do this.


 * (in response to someone shouting "I miss Nick (Oliveri)") Well, if you miss Nick, you can go out to the parking lot and go fuck yourself. Maybe you should get started immediately. And maybe if you're really lucky, he'll beat the shit out of you too. Because that's what he likes to do to girls, so maybe you can go miss him, I dunno... Do you feel satisfied about making you comment now? Are you happy that everyone looked at you and know what you look like? See that, Jesus Christ. Yeah, I remember my first beer too.


 * This is my fuckin' stage!


 * (during "Feel Good Hit of the Summer") I wanna tell you something. I'm never gonna give you up, I'm never gonna let you down. I'm never gonna run around and desert you.


 * (during "Feel Good Hit of the Summer") They tried to put me in rehab too, but that shit didn't work. Nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol. Nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol. Nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol. (song pauses) I cannot be killed by anything.


 * 'Frayed not. (in response to a question on whether he considers The Fray an influence after they listed him as an influence)

Over the Years and Through the Woods

 * Dave (Catching) played lap steel, a little guitar, keys and did a lot of drinking.
 * Over the Years and Through the Woods, "The Bronze" commentary footage (2005)


 * This song is actually about when I got arrested for about 30 minutes in Mexico, and as we were just about to cross into Tijuana, we were just about to cross the "Bridge of Freedom", which I always thought was an ironic name for the bridge into Tijuana, or the one coming back for that matter. And this woman was selling these crucifixes before you got to the bridge, and she looked at me and said "You're in for trouble", and I just scoffed and laughed and was like "You don't live forever" and I thought "Jeez, what's up with the weird old woman?". And then later that night I was sitting in this police car in Tijuana and they just beat the crap out of this other guy, not that I was with, and I was like "Am I next?". I had bought this fake gold chain because my dad had said "If you go to Tijuana, have some fake jewellery to barter with". I traded with them - they just wanted cash. But I felt so sick in the back of the police car that I was like "If I throw up in here I'm dead".
 * Over the Years and Through the Woods, "Mexicola" commentary footage (2005)


 * Josh (footage): Y'all ready to see Foo Fighters?
 * Nick Oliveri (footage): God damn, I thought they were here to see us!
 * Josh (footage): Well, I thought they were too! Well, not yet. You got a minute, you're a little early.
 * Troy Van Leeuwen: Sorry I'm late, I was just getting beer.
 * Josh: But they were early.
 * Josh (footage): Oh yeah... I'll see you all wherever you are. Uhhhh...
 * Josh: No, I'm not high there. Not at all.


 * Over the Years and Through the Woods, ("How to Handle a Rope") commentary footage (2005)


 * Alain Johannes: How come everything's red though? Is it a red light or...
 * Josh: No, it's just that everything we had was white. It kinda stemmed around when we were going to do the Ozzfest tour, but we hated the Ozzfest but we just had nothing else to do. We had nothing to do for the summer, so we just said yes to their lame fuckin' tour. And we thought everyone was going to be wearing all black the whole time, so we wore all white and had all white amps. And, just like they thought, they totally hated it.
 * Troy: That's cool.
 * Josh: But when you're playing to some dude with a giant mullet - like a huge one that's almost like "Wow!" - and he's got jean shorts but the pockets are longer than the shorts, and they go "What the hell are you faggots doing?!" and we're just like "Oh, we're fucking your son!", and he's like "My brother?".
 * Joey Castillo: You're like "It'd be kinda funny if this faggot kicked your ass!".
 * Josh: Totally, I got so bitter on that tour we'd just go out before the first song and say "Hey, fuck you guys! We're Queens of the Stone Age", that's not how you, like, make fans.


 * Over the Years and Through the Woods, ("How to Handle a Rope") commentary footage (2005)

Queens of the Stone Age

 * You're solid gold, I'll see you in hell.
 * "You Can't Quit Me Baby", Queens of the Stone Age (1998)


 * The more you've found, the less you've been around.
 * "The Bronze", The Split CD (1998)


 * There's no one here And people everywhere You're on you're own.
 * "Better Living Through Chemistry", Rated R (2000)


 * Laughing is easy, I would if I could.
 * "In the Fade", Rated R (2000)


 * You live 'till you die.
 * "In the Fade", Rated R (2000)


 * It's all my head, I know Or so they tell me so.
 * "I Think I Lost My Headache", Rated R (2000)


 * Close your eyes, and see the skies are falling.
 * "The Sky Is Fallin'", Songs for the Deaf (2002)


 * I want a new mistake, lose is more than hesitate.
 * "Go with the Flow", Songs for the Deaf (2002)


 * You don't find your way, the way finds you.
 * "Someone's in the Wolf", Lullabies to Paralyze (2005)


 * Open up your mouth, touch your lips to mine, That we may make a kiss that can pierce through death and survive.
 * "The Blood Is Love", Lullabies to Paralyze (2005)


 * From the moment you said, "Why haven't you kissed me yet" I knew I'd wipe that paint from your lips.
 * "Skin on Skin", Lullabies to Paralyze (2005)


 * You say bigger's better, but bigger's bigger.
 * "Turnin' on the Screw", Era Vulgaris (2007)


 * It's just like diamonds in shit.
 * "I'm Designer", Era Vulgaris (2007)


 * Never again will I repeat myself Enough is never enough Never again will I repeat myself.
 * "I'm Designer", Era Vulgaris (2007)


 * It's truly a lie, I counterfeit myself.
 * "I'm Designer", Era Vulgaris (2007)


 * If ignorance is bliss, then I'm in heaven now.
 * "3's & 7's", Era Vulgaris (2007)


 * I don't care if it hurts, just so long as it's real.
 * "Suture Up Your Future", ''Era Vulgaris (2007)


 * I'm gonna suture up my future.
 * "Suture Up Your Future", Era Vulgaris (2007)


 * If life but a dream, then ''WAKE ME!'
 * "Keep Your Eyes Peeled", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * Silence is closer We're passing ships in the night.
 * "I Sat By the Ocean", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * Time wounds all the heals, as we fade out of view.
 * "I Sat By the Ocean", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * I want God to come and take me home, 'cause I'm all alone in this crowd.
 * "The Vampyre of Time and Memory", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * Does anyone ever get this right? I feel no love.
 * "The Vampyre of Time and Memory", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * I survived I speak, I breathe I'm incomplete I'm alive, hooray! You're wrong again, 'cause I feel no love.
 * "The Vampyre of Time and Memory", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * I blow my load over the status-quo, here we go.
 * "Smooth Sailing", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * Pieces were stolen from me Or dare I say, given away.
 * "I Appear Missing", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * It's only falling in love because you've hit the ground.
 * "I Appear Missing", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * With my toes on the edge, it's such a lovely view.
 * "I Appear Missing", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * Not everything that goes around comes back around, you know.
 * "...Like Clockwork", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * Holding on too long is just a fear of letting go.
 * "...Like Clockwork", ...Like Clockwork (2013)


 * One thing that is clear, it's all downhill from here.
 * "...Like Clockwork", ...Like Clockwork (2013)