Queens Ready "Songs for the Deaf"

Queens of the Stone Age will release their third album, Songs for the Deaf, next spring. The album is the follow-up to the group's major-label breakthrough, 2000's Rated R.

The band has been in Los Angeles and San Francisco studios recording the album with producer Eric Valentine (Third Eye Blind, Smash Mouth). Initially, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl planned to drum on three tracks, but their collaborations proved so successful that Grohl ended up drumming on the majority of Songs.

Other guests include Ween's Dean Ween, who recorded three songs ("Six Shooter," "I'm Gonna Leave" and "Mosquito Song") with the band, in addition to former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan and Kyuss drummer Brant Bjork.

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Great Gatsby' Is a Crushing Disappointment
• 
  TV Why You Should Watch 'Happy Endings'
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter