Despite his previous issues with his Kyuss bandmates, Josh Homme has revealed he’s open to once again playing with the influential stoner-rock group.
Back in 1987, a young group of California musicians formed the group Katzenjammer. Two years later, this changed to Sons Of Kyuss, and by 1991, they’d dropped the first two-thirds of the name and released their debut album, Wretch.
Before long, they were one of the most acclaimed groups in the stoner-rock genre – a now beloved subgenre they helped to pioneer. While a handful of records followed, they called it quits in 1995 following the release of their fittingly-titled album, …And The Circus Leaves Town.
Its members soon went on to form different projects, with Nick Oliveri forming the likes of Mondo Generator, and Josh Homme founding the Desert Sessions – a loose open-door collective that would eventually evolve into Queens Of The Stone Age.
While rumours of a reunion have persisted for years, fans haven’t exactly held their breath. In fact, when surviving members tried performing as Kyuss Lives! in the early 2010s, Homme filed a lawsuit against them, eventually resulting in the band adopting the moniker of Vista Chino.
However, in an interview with Kyuss World Radio (via Blabbermouth) in celebration of their final record’s 25th anniversary, Homme discussed the band’s breakup, the lawsuit, and his openness to one day performing with the group’s members once again.
Check out Josh Homme on Kyuss World Radio:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6pueiYhcr1E1AylXTwBX5u
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“My philosophy has always been, never do a reunion, never do a sequel. It’s not what it was; it’s what it is. And that’s kind of how I’ve felt,” Homme explained of his thoughts on the Kyuss Lives! shows.
“A legacy that involves having been at the epicentre of a scene that got created, it’s so fragile; it’s like an ice sculpture. And I don’t wanna be a blow dryer on that thing. That being said, I was in full support of KYUSS LIVES! and I would go to the shows and I told them as much, until what Brant [Bjork] and, unfortunately, what John [Garcia] tried to do. And that was terrible.”
While he noted the breakdown of his relationship between Bjork and Garcia took place due to their inability to find a “respectful” way to continue the group’s legacy, Homme explained that he felt that the group’s finale wasn’t quite how he wanted things to have ended, and mused about a potential live performance in the future.
“There have been times I thought it cannot end that way, and the only real way to end it correctly now would be to play,” Homme continues. “And because they sort of perverted the punctuation and they knocked the wing off this beautiful dragon that’s an ice sculpture, and the only way to put the motherfucking wing back on would be to [play again].
“I have thought about this, especially in the last few years, to do something special, and even to make up for that mistake of Brant and, unfortunately, John, to make up for it. [I thought we should] play and give all the money away. Like, play for the fans — cover your costs and make it five bucks.
“Figure out a way to be, like, this is how the punctuation will end the sentence of this band. Because it was never about money — it never was about money. It never was about fame, and when it felt like that was the move they were making, I was so sad.”
Though it remains to be seen whether or not Homme would indeed join his Kyuss bandmates for another live show down the line, it’s easy to see that this would very quickly become one of the most high-profile reunion gigs in recent rock history.
Check out ‘Demon Cleaner’ by Kyuss:
