So “speaks out” might be a little optimistic, but hey, it’s Desert Sessions, optimism is called for. Josh Homme recently mentioned a near miss on another Sessions get together, which would be the first since 2003.
Strange how even a jam band can turn huge once Josh Homme gets involved. The man’s one of the most promiscuous collaborators around, and talent tends to find talent. Desert Sessions began as a largely informal get-together, but you can’t cram people like Homme, Mark Lanegan, Ben Shepard and Dean Ween into a room together without something insane happening. The result was an incredible burst of creativity; ten volumes were collected and released between 1997 and 2003. Quirky, extemporized, and utterly brilliant – Desert Sessions products pop up regularly on Queens of the Stone Age (Homme’s primary band) albums.
And then 2003, and nothing since. The Sessions have been quiet for over a decade, but there may be signs of life. Homme has repeatedly expressed intent to restart the project, but time has been in short supply. That and the strictly informal nature of the collective has made hard dates difficult to come by. Still, in a recent interview, Homme had this to say:
As far as Desert Sessions goes, I was going to do a Desert Sessions this year but we did some Eagles recording instead. Because Desert Sessions works best at a certain time of the year, when everything slows and everyone takes a deep breath out. At the end of the year, in that December-January timeframe, everyone has exhaled. And post-exhale is the time to do something like that.
Timing is everything. Keep them fingers crossed.
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