JOSHUA HOMME Taps PRIMUS, ZZ TOP Members For 'Desert Sessions' Volumes 11 And 12

September 26, 2019

Ending a 16-year hiatus since its last installment, the most mythical, longest running rock n roll mixtape odyssey in existence, "Desert Sessions" will return this October with the most ambitious entries yet in its expansive and elusive catalog: Volumes 11 and 12 (a.k.a. respectively "Arrivederci Despair" and "Tightwads & Nitwits & Critics & Heels") will be released October 25 on Matador Records. A limited-edition first vinyl pressing will include a one-of-a-kind custom mix-and-match body swap booklet.

Volumes 11 and 12 were recorded mostly in a six-day span in December 2018 at Rancho De La Luna studios in Joshua Tree, California with QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE founder and "Desert Sessions" ringleader/producer Joshua Homme enlisting a cast of players including:

* Billy Gibbons (ZZ TOP)
* Stella Mozgawa (WARPAINT)
* Jake Shears (SCISSOR SISTERS)
* Mike Kerr (ROYAL BLOOD)
* Carla Azar (AUTOLUX, JACK WHITE)
* Les Claypool (PRIMUS)
* Matt Sweeney
* Matt Berry ("What We Do in the Shadows", "Toast Of London")
* Libby Grace
* Töôrnst Hülpft

The results are eight new songs that embody the legacy of freedom from expectations and inhibitions that stretches back to 1997, when Homme led a first retreat to the Joshua Tree desert. What began as a casual writing and recording session amongst friends — isolated from daily distractions and comforts — has since become a possibly infinite body of work. Now spanning 12 volumes over the course of two decades (and a total of two documented live performances),the "Desert Sessions" has featured some of music's most cherished icons — past players have included Polly Harvey, Mark Lanegan, Josh Freese, Dean Ween, among many others — deliberately removing themselves from their comfort zones and working together to create some of their most relaxed yet challenging work.

For a glimpse into the various players' reactions to the completed work, check out a Liam Lynch-directed exclusive video interview with Homme below.

The tracklist for "Desert Sessions" volumes 11 and 12 is:

* Move Together (lead vocal: Billy F. Gibbons)
* Noses in Roses Forever (lead vocal: Joshua Homme)
* Far East For The Trees
* If You Run (lead vocal: Libby Grace)
* Crucifire (lead vocal: Mike Kerr)
* Chic Tweetz (vocals: Töôrnst Hülpft, Matt Berry)
* Something You Can't See (lead vocal: Jake Shears)
* Easier Said Than Done (lead vocal: Joshua Homme)

Photo credit: Andreas Neumann

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