Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme Fights ‘Loneliness’ on Tour

There’s a certain loneliness that comes with being a touring rock star regardless of how many people are in the audience.

At least that is what Queens of the Stone Age‘s Josh Homme experiences when he is on the road, away from home.

Why Josh Homme Feels ‘Loneliness’ When Touring

Homme recently did an interview with Zane Lowe of Apple Music ahead of the Oct. 30 release of Queens of the Stone Age’s ninth studio album, Perfecth. During the talk, Homme shared what he struggles with as a touring musician who is also trying to evolve and grow as a person.

“And I think the touring existence, on the one hand, keeps a little bit of an arrested development going because every night is Saturday and you’re sort of participating in someone else’s version of Saturday all the time,” Homme said.

Following that moment onstage is when Homme says his “Interior loneliness starts getting louder.”

How Having a Family Affected Josh Homme’s Loneliness

Homme, a father of three, divorced musician Brody Dalle in 2019. The following years saw the two involved in a long-running custody dispute that resulted in Homme getting sole custody of all three children, according to Pitchfork.

The 53-year-old musician said being away from his kids has further deepened his loneliness when on the road.

“And then when you have a family, and you finally have something that’s more important than music, that distance gets really loud.”

READ MORE: Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme Has a Weird Hobby+ Now Dave Grohl Is Involved

Several times throughout the conversation, Homme made it clear that he was not “complaining” about being a touring musician. Instead, he was mostly describing what it can be like when he’s not onstage.

“It’s just this is some of the stuff that occurs out there, and you find yourself window shopping other people’s lives. You see young couples, you know, on a first date… I’ve seen marriage proposals. I’ve seen fights and breakups, and you see families in the park. You see fist fights, you see flirting, you see all this stuff.”

It’s in those moments that Homme says loneliness sets in as he thinks about his family.

“When you have something, a family at home, their life is going on and what they’re doing is getting accustomed to a life without you in those moments. And you have to figure out what that means and how you feel about that. I found that really challenging.”

Josh Homme Didn’t Intend to Be a ‘Frontman’

Homme has been the one consistent member of Queens of the Stone Age since their start in 1996. Despite being the face of the band, playing the role of self-described “frontman” was not something Homme wanted or even intended to do.

Now, he feels a certain responsibility to be the best version that he can be.

“I think also when you watch a really great frontman and you’re touring with somebody, and you think, ‘Oh, I suppose I should be doing that, but that feels so far away.’ And so you find yourself trying to grow into something, into some version that feels authentic. Your own version of being onstage and performing that feels real.”

The experience, especially early on, left Homme feeling “lost.”

“I think at times I’ve struggled with parts of this and handling it in various ways that include shooting myself in the foot or beating yourself or feeling upset about it.”

WATCH: Josh Homme’s Interview With Zane Lowe

Queens of the Stone Age have announced the North American leg of their 2027 tour, beginning March 6 in Mexico City. See all of the dates and locations below.

March 6 – Mexico City, MX @ Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes w/ Interpol
March 12-14 – Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Lollapalooza #
March 12-14 – Santiago, Chile @ Lollapalooza #
March 19-21 – São Paulo, BR @ Lollapalooza #
May 1 – San Diego, Calif. @ Viejas Arena ^
May 2 – Inglewood, Calif. @ Kia Forum ^
May 4 – Oakland, Calif. @ Oakland Arena ^
May 5 – Sacramento, Calif. @ Golden 1 Center ^
May 7 – Seattle, Wash. @ Climate Pledge Arena ^
May 9 – Portland, Ore. @ Moda Center ^
May 11 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Delta Center ^
May 12 – Morrison, Colo. @ Red Rocks ^
May 14 – Saint Paul, Minn. @ Grand Casino Arena ^
May 15 – Milwaukee, Wis. @American Family Insurance Amphitheater ^
May 16 – Rosemont, Ill. @ Allstate Arena ^
May 18 – Indianapolis, Ind. @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena ^
May 19 – Columbus, Ohio @ Nationwide Arena ^
May 21 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Petersen Events Center ^
May 22 – Detroit, Mich. @ Little Caesars Arena ^
May 24 – Boston, Mass. @ TD Garden ^

^ w/ Pixies, Wheelchair Sports Camp
# Festival Date

Keep reading to see where some of your other favorite rock and metal bands will be playing in 2026.