They started as just another satellite in Josh Homme's Desert Sessions orbit; eight years and one messy divorce later, the Eagles of Death Metal are a full-fledged "movement and phenomenon onto itself," as mustachioed singer/guitarist Jesse "Boots Electric" Hughes puts it. We talked to Hughes for fifteen minutes at the cusp of the Eagles' spring tour with the Strokes, touching on everything from groupies to girl-phobic indie kids and Rick Springfield. The resulting interview may not be as lengthy as some of the Modern Pea Pod's greatest hits...but it might just be more rock'n'roll.
Modern Pea Pod: So you're on tour with the Strokes right now. How's that going?
Jesse Hughes: Yeah, we just started - our first show is tonight at the Hammerstein Ballroom. So right now we're on top of a luxury hotel, surrounded by bikini girls.
MPP: Is that the kind of thing you guys are used to?
JH: The Eagles of Death Metal love beautiful ladies and ladies of all sorts. And because we give so much time and energy to them, sometimes they give us time and energy in return. It doesn't suck, I'll tell you that.
MPP: (laughs) It seems like early in EODM's career, you were perceived strictly as a side project of Queens of the Stone Age because of Josh Homme's involvement. Now you really look to be coming into your own as a separate band.
JH: Yeah, when the first record came out there was a perception that it was a side project, but it was never intended that way. Still, to be in a side project of Queens of the Stone Age doesn't suck. I mean, the whole scene out here spawned from Joshua's great mind - and he's my best friend in the whole world, so I don't mind at all. I love being part of this scene.
MPP: So it didn't bother you at all getting pigeonholed like that?
JH: That hurt a little bit, yeah. But after a while it just became a joke. (facetiously) Honey, there's nothing on the side about us. We're all up front.
(Not sidekicks...partners - photographer unknown)
JH: It's interesting, though, because we actually did sort of start out as a side thing; the first thing we ever did was on the Desert Sessions. And that was a joke - we had a death metal vocalist for real!
Article comments
1 - Guppusmaximus
Just the mere fact that these queers use Death Metal in their name when they don't have the talent to play it shows that they need to be shot in the F*ckin head!
Kinda like The Killers not playing a single Maiden tune...What's up with all these pussies?
2 - zingzing
iron maiden doesn't have any women in the band... but they are a bit like torture.
3 - zingzing
just the mere fact that these que*rs use Eagles in their name when they don't have the talent (nor the bad taste) to play any Eagles shows that they need to be shot in the Fuckin head!
kinda like the killers (named after a bit of new order's imagination) not playing a single new order tune... what's up with all these pussies?!
METAL ROX!!
4 - RLV
So, did you meatheads actually read the damn article?
Metal does rock, and these guys wouldn't disagree with you. They just aren't it.
Read the damn interview again...I think some bits of it pertain to you more than others....