Originally published in: Chord Magazine
Album: Death by Sexy
Random thoughts: This was a really fun interview. And that Vader story? Talk about an exclusive!
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
Gabbing with “The Devil”
By Jason Schreurs
Heralded as the “greatest rock and roll album ever,” at least by the band members, Peace Love Death Metal, from the hilariously named Eagles of Death Metal, is defined perfectly by one word: Rock! Combining dual fuzz guitars, trashcan sounding drums (courtesy of Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, who also produced the CD), and a bona fide crooner and swooner up front in Jesse “The Devil” Hughes, the Eagles definitely have that boogie woogie thing down pat. As they relentlessly tour a frantic live show with a swinging door of musicians from bands like the aforementioned Queens of the Stone Age, Ween, and earthlings?, Eagles of Death Metal are planning to unleash a sophomore album (tentatively titled Death by Sexy) of what they believe to be unfathomably epic proportions. Sure guys, just keep rocking, okay?
I recently nabbed Eagles frontman Hughes (a.k.a. “The Devil,” a.k.a. J Devil Huge, a.k.a. Mr. Boogie Man) in the middle of a busy US tour. We had a quick chat via his cell phone before a show at The Empty Bottle in Chicago, IL.
I got a kick out of that guy who posted to your website that the news section should just read: "Our super gay lead singer is just going to get gayer and gayer..." I thought that was really funny.
Ya, we found that and we posted it. We look for anything that’s really negative to kind of contrast how amazingly positive my moustache truly is.
But Eagles of Death Metal are obviously a very homoerotic band, right?
Well, sometimes the confusion lies in the fact that we… I love the ladies, man, that’s all there is to it, baby.
And the ladies love you back, don’t they?
I haven’t been having trouble with the ladies, I will not lie (laughs). I’m getting action. After all of these years, I’m finally getting laid.
Nice. I was at one of your shows recently and women were dancing up on the stage riser. Does that happen a lot?
It’s a phenomenon. It happens everywhere we go now.
Why do think that is?
Because we’re an unholy behemoth of sexual ferocity.
Do you ever get sick of people talking about the line-up of the band? Every time I hear about Eagles of Death Metal, it always seems to focus on [Queens of the Stone Age leader] Josh Homme playing drums.
Hell no, those are the coziest coattails a boy could ever ride.
Is your line-up going to continue to be a revolving door of musicians, or are you looking at getting a permanent line-up?
It’s a permanent line-up right now [for recording]. Um, the touring Eagles, it looks like are going to be [drummer] Claude Coleman Jr. from Ween and [guitarist] David Catching from earthlings? [also a contributor to QotSA]. It’s basically evolved into a super-group, you know what I mean? Which I’m all completely fine with. I’m more than happy to be involved in a rock band that involves the word “super.”
You do some pretty rippin' classic rock covers in your set and on your recordings too. Is that the kinda music you grew up on?
Ya, I love those bands, man. Actually, I steal from some of the greatest classic rock tunes of all time. But technically, Peace Love Death Metal is the greatest rock album ever written because I’ve taken every song from the greatest classic rock tunes ever. It’s an unholy cavalcade of sex rock.
Who's the best rock and roll band ever, well, besides you, I guess? And why?
Well, let’s see… Queens of the Stone Age are one of the best rock and roll bands ever because… they are. Um, The Stooges, which is a cliché, but it’s easy to say because it’s true. I love The Jacksons, I love James Brown, P-Funk… I kinda wanna be the white Morris Day [The Time leader] of rock and roll, so obviously the whole Minneapolis trip is a big rocker for me.
What would be your ideal band to tour with?
Any band I could tour with? Holy cow… I would tour with Prince because he’s rock. He’s the sexiest motherfucker next to my moustache.
Tell me the story of how you got your name again. That's a funny one.
Well, there’s the myth and then there’s the truth. The truth is that God came down from on high… no, I’m just kidding. What happened was Josh and I were in the backseat of our VW van getting stoned and our friend Cole Lou… this is an alternate version. I’m telling you something top secret now. So Cole Lou, who was Lou Balls from The Desert Sessions, was trying to convince us that each death metal band he played for us was really tough. He put on one band, I think it was Vader, and we were, like, “Dude, this is lame! This isn’t death metal, this is the fucking Eagles of death metal.”
Okay, so that’s a variation on the story I heard about some dude in a bar saying Poison was metal, and then you saying, “No, this is the Eagles of metal.”
That was earlier in the evening, and he did say that, and I did say that to him. But it wasn’t until we were stoned in the van and I said, “Dude, this is like the Eagles of death metal” about Vader, and it was a funny reference to just two hours previous. The reason I don’t tell that is I just never wanted Vader fans to think that they were on par with Poison’s.
What about your nickname, Jesse? “The Devil…” What does that mean?
It’s because I’m such a sweetheart. It’s ironic (laughs).
What's next for Eagles of Death Metal?
Just getting ready to record a new record at Sound City [Studios], as soon as we get back from tour. And then we’re going to take over the world.
For more info, go to www.eaglesofdeathmetal.net
By Jason Schreurs
Heralded as the “greatest rock and roll album ever,” at least by the band members, Peace Love Death Metal, from the hilariously named Eagles of Death Metal, is defined perfectly by one word: Rock! Combining dual fuzz guitars, trashcan sounding drums (courtesy of Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, who also produced the CD), and a bona fide crooner and swooner up front in Jesse “The Devil” Hughes, the Eagles definitely have that boogie woogie thing down pat. As they relentlessly tour a frantic live show with a swinging door of musicians from bands like the aforementioned Queens of the Stone Age, Ween, and earthlings?, Eagles of Death Metal are planning to unleash a sophomore album (tentatively titled Death by Sexy) of what they believe to be unfathomably epic proportions. Sure guys, just keep rocking, okay?
I recently nabbed Eagles frontman Hughes (a.k.a. “The Devil,” a.k.a. J Devil Huge, a.k.a. Mr. Boogie Man) in the middle of a busy US tour. We had a quick chat via his cell phone before a show at The Empty Bottle in Chicago, IL.
I got a kick out of that guy who posted to your website that the news section should just read: "Our super gay lead singer is just going to get gayer and gayer..." I thought that was really funny.
Ya, we found that and we posted it. We look for anything that’s really negative to kind of contrast how amazingly positive my moustache truly is.
But Eagles of Death Metal are obviously a very homoerotic band, right?
Well, sometimes the confusion lies in the fact that we… I love the ladies, man, that’s all there is to it, baby.
And the ladies love you back, don’t they?
I haven’t been having trouble with the ladies, I will not lie (laughs). I’m getting action. After all of these years, I’m finally getting laid.
Nice. I was at one of your shows recently and women were dancing up on the stage riser. Does that happen a lot?
It’s a phenomenon. It happens everywhere we go now.
Why do think that is?
Because we’re an unholy behemoth of sexual ferocity.
Do you ever get sick of people talking about the line-up of the band? Every time I hear about Eagles of Death Metal, it always seems to focus on [Queens of the Stone Age leader] Josh Homme playing drums.
Hell no, those are the coziest coattails a boy could ever ride.
Is your line-up going to continue to be a revolving door of musicians, or are you looking at getting a permanent line-up?
It’s a permanent line-up right now [for recording]. Um, the touring Eagles, it looks like are going to be [drummer] Claude Coleman Jr. from Ween and [guitarist] David Catching from earthlings? [also a contributor to QotSA]. It’s basically evolved into a super-group, you know what I mean? Which I’m all completely fine with. I’m more than happy to be involved in a rock band that involves the word “super.”
You do some pretty rippin' classic rock covers in your set and on your recordings too. Is that the kinda music you grew up on?
Ya, I love those bands, man. Actually, I steal from some of the greatest classic rock tunes of all time. But technically, Peace Love Death Metal is the greatest rock album ever written because I’ve taken every song from the greatest classic rock tunes ever. It’s an unholy cavalcade of sex rock.
Who's the best rock and roll band ever, well, besides you, I guess? And why?
Well, let’s see… Queens of the Stone Age are one of the best rock and roll bands ever because… they are. Um, The Stooges, which is a cliché, but it’s easy to say because it’s true. I love The Jacksons, I love James Brown, P-Funk… I kinda wanna be the white Morris Day [The Time leader] of rock and roll, so obviously the whole Minneapolis trip is a big rocker for me.
What would be your ideal band to tour with?
Any band I could tour with? Holy cow… I would tour with Prince because he’s rock. He’s the sexiest motherfucker next to my moustache.
Tell me the story of how you got your name again. That's a funny one.
Well, there’s the myth and then there’s the truth. The truth is that God came down from on high… no, I’m just kidding. What happened was Josh and I were in the backseat of our VW van getting stoned and our friend Cole Lou… this is an alternate version. I’m telling you something top secret now. So Cole Lou, who was Lou Balls from The Desert Sessions, was trying to convince us that each death metal band he played for us was really tough. He put on one band, I think it was Vader, and we were, like, “Dude, this is lame! This isn’t death metal, this is the fucking Eagles of death metal.”
Okay, so that’s a variation on the story I heard about some dude in a bar saying Poison was metal, and then you saying, “No, this is the Eagles of metal.”
That was earlier in the evening, and he did say that, and I did say that to him. But it wasn’t until we were stoned in the van and I said, “Dude, this is like the Eagles of death metal” about Vader, and it was a funny reference to just two hours previous. The reason I don’t tell that is I just never wanted Vader fans to think that they were on par with Poison’s.
What about your nickname, Jesse? “The Devil…” What does that mean?
It’s because I’m such a sweetheart. It’s ironic (laughs).
What's next for Eagles of Death Metal?
Just getting ready to record a new record at Sound City [Studios], as soon as we get back from tour. And then we’re going to take over the world.
For more info, go to www.eaglesofdeathmetal.net
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