Today i Queens of the Stone Age they return with the new single “Easy Street”, released on Matador Records. Presented live during the acclaimed Catacombs tour, and eagerly awaited by fans, is the band's first new song since In Times New Roman of 2023. The music is serene and perfectly imperfect: acoustic guitar, psychedelic synthesizers and a rhythm section that breathes with a life of its own. Rough edges and sharp irony emerge beneath the surface.
The guest of the song is the singer Nikki Lanewhose voice comes out rough and sweet at the same time, with the gritty character of Wanda Jackson, and her timbre creates a contrast with Josh Homme's softer vocal line.
«It's a pretty fun song. It's like when you bump your elbow: it makes you laugh because it hurts and it hurts because it makes you laugh. You're serious, but at the same time it's funny» says Homme. «We made it as you would a demo. No click tracks, we left the errors. Time speeds up, slows down, the claps are not perfect, but not bad either, and just a slightly wrong clap adds that human element that you cannot fake.» And he adds: «It's not just about lightness. It's about understanding the imperfections of your life. The song, just like your life, lives in mistakes. Its imperfections are unbeatable.»
“Easy Street” is accompanied by a video directed by Tony Wolski and Christopher Gruse, based on an idea by Homme. The film opens with a battered and bruised Homme trying to escape a motley band of pursuers, including the other band members in disguise: a Juggalo, a mall Santa Claus, a guy in a leather suit and, of course, a dapper cowboy riding a tiny horse. The story, however, subverts expectations with a final twist which pays homage to those outsiders who are too often dismissed with superficiality. The song was produced by Josh Homme and Michael Shuman and is available today on Matador Records.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
