by Former Kyuss bassist Scott Reeder recently opened up about turning down an opportunity to join Queens of the Stone Age in its early days. He shared his reasons in an interview with Guitar World.
Reeder explained that Josh Homme reached out to him during the recording sessions that would become Queens of the Stone Age’s debut album. He declined the invitation out of loyalty to his former bandmate.
“Josh [Homme] was recording with Alfredo Hernandez [drummer who replaced Brant Bjork in Kyuss], for what I believe became the Queens record,” Reeder said. “He called and said, ‘Hey, Scotty, we’re recording. Do you want to come over and put some stuff down?’ I was like, ‘So, basically, you want to do Kyuss, but no John Garcia?’”
Reeder’s decision was rooted in his loyalty to Kyuss vocalist John Garcia and his disappointment over the band’s breakup.
“I said, ‘I’m good,’ because I was really loyal to John,” he continued. “I was bitter, I guess, that there was a breakup. Things were going great, then whatever happened between Josh and John destroyed the whole thing. So at the time, I didn’t want anything to do with Queens.”
Reeder’s decision reflects the complex dynamics that followed Kyuss’s dissolution in the mid-1990s. The breakup sent its members in distinctly different directions.
Monster Riff reported that Josh Homme formed Queens of the Stone Age following Kyuss’s dissolution around 1995-1996. The band emerged from the Palm Desert music scene that Kyuss helped pioneer. Homme wanted to move in a new musical direction after Kyuss. This contributed to the band’s breakup and led to his more aggressive songwriting style in QOTSA.
The relationship between Homme and Garcia has remained tense and complicated over the years. Monster Riff detailed that the two have been involved in legal disputes over the Kyuss name. Homme attempted legal action to limit Garcia and others’ use of the name during the Kyuss Lives! period. This suggested underlying fractures in their relationship. Despite this, Homme has hinted at the possibility of Kyuss reuniting someday. This suggests some openness to reconciliation.
Alfredo Hernández replaced Brant Bjork on drums during Kyuss’s later period. He played a crucial role in Queens of the Stone Age’s early development. Queens of the Stone Age Wiki noted that Hernández worked with Homme during the band’s early recording sessions. He contributed to the self-titled debut album and helped establish QOTSA’s sound. These sessions marked the transition from Kyuss’s style to the more song-oriented, layered approach QOTSA would become known for.
After Kyuss broke up, Scott Reeder pursued a different path from his former bandmates. Monster Riff highlighted that Reeder collaborated with several other bands across hard rock and metal scenes. These included Fireball Ministry, Tool, and The Obsessed. This showcased a versatile post-Kyuss career. Unlike John Garcia or Nick Oliveri, Reeder has not been prominently linked to rejoining or closely working with Homme or Queens of the Stone Age.
The interview also covers Reeder’s work on a Spinal Tap tribute album and his experiences during the desert rock era.
