HIGH DESERT QUEEN drop the cinematic lyric video ‘Death Perception’ with guest vocalist Emma Näslund from GAUPA! This is also the final single track to be taken from the forthcoming Texas desert rockers’ second album “Palm Reader”, which is slated for release on May 31 via Magnetic Eye Records. The album pre-sale is available at: http://lnk.spkr.media/high-desert-queen-palmreader
HIGH DESERT QUEEN have previously announced the first set of many planned live dates for 2024. Please see below for all currently confirmed shows!
“It was pretty crazy how ‘Death Perception’ came to life”, vocalist Ryan Garney writes about the new single. “This is one of three tracks that were incarnated during our first night in the studio when we were just jamming trying to get levels. Within a few hours, we had the song written and recorded. Rusty threw in a riff, he actually came up with on the fly during the last time that we were in the studio to record our first album. He had not played it since. After we had all the music recorded and I sat down to write lyrics, I immediately thought about how amazing Emma Näslund from Gaupa would sound on this song. She and I had talked about the possibility of her adding vocals to our record when we crossed paths a few times last year on tour in Europe. We also feel that her vocals are just too strong to be in the background and that she should be the main singer on her track. I enjoyed collaborating with her on melodies and lyrics, and I am extremely happy with the result. She us such an amazing person and vocalist, and I hope to work with her again in the future!”
The lyric video of the ultra-heavy track ‘Death Perception’ that vocally channels a bit of a Björk vibe courtesy of Emma Näslund is now streaming here:
HIGH DESERT QUEEN‘s sophomore full-length “Palm Reader” is bursting with raw energy and radiates the feeling of 666 diesel horses thundering loud. The album is crammed with cool vibes, ripping leads, and a ton of desert fuzz with a focus on great songs rather than trying to stay confined within a corral of a particular style.
This untamed attitude took its creative high energy source straight from touring. When the band from Texas returned home after six weeks travelling the roads of Europe with the legendary FATSO JETSON and watching them improvising jams every night, they had also taken notes. Although a bit worn from the road, HIGH DESERT QUEEN could hardly wait to start recording. Not focusing overly on how parts were played, allowing themselves imperfections, and ditching the click, the music started to flow like never before. In the very first studio session after the tour, three new songs emerged.
Working within a live framework and mindset, the band from Austin, Texas hit the jackpot and “Palm Reader” bears witness to that claim. In more than one way, HIGH DESERT QUEEN have always been a bit different and much more than ‘another desert rock band’. Formed in Houston, Texas by singer Ryan Garney and guitarist Rusty Miller in 2019, the duo soon recruited drummer Phil Hook (MONTE LUNA) and relocated to Austin in 2020.
With the addition of Rusty’s daughter Morgan on bass, the band hit the ground running. The lone star shone bright when these four got together as desert rock had already endured a long rather dry spell of stagnation and was parched for an injection of fresh sounds.
HIGH DESERT QUEEN had what it takes to kick the scene into gear again. Their vast musical influences ranging from grunge to funk, old school metal to doom and much more provide an ideal foundation for new ideas and a rejuvenating approach to the genre. Their thunderous, fuzz-drenched anthems are delivered with a healthy dose of groove and catchy melodies, and get a massive boost from an emotional intelligence in their music that’s hard to find. The newly-minted sound is linked to the rich heritage of their musical environment, inspiring the style tag ‘Texas desert rock’.
Tracklist
- Ancient Aliens
- Death Perception
- Head Honcho
- Palm Reader
- Time Waster
- Tuesday Night Blues
- Solar Rain
HIGH DESERT QUEEN live:
24 MAY 2024 Lafayette, LA (US) Freetown Boom Boom Room
25 MAY 2024 Houston, TX (US) White Oak Music Hall
26 MAY 2024 Arlington, TX (US) Division Brewery
30 MAY 2024 Austin, TX (US) The Far Out Lounge
31 MAY 2024 Bryan, TX (US) The 101
01 JUN 2024 San Antonio, TX (US) The Amp Room
02 JUN 2024 New Braunfels, TX (US) Guadalupe Brewery
13 JUL 2024 Erfurt (DE) Stoned from the Underground Festival
26 JUL 2024 Neuensee (DE) Rock im Wald Festival
21 SEP 2024 Austin, TX (US) Far Out Lounge, RippleFest Texas
Hard work and their obviously burgeoning talent resulted in an fast rise for HIGH DESERT QUEEN, beginning with their first record deal arriving thanks in part to their being hand-picked by ZAKK SABBATH’s Rob Blasko. Their debut full-length “Secrets of the Black Moon” arrived in 2021 and was immediately heaped with praise in the US and Europe, which kicked the doors open to touring and invitations to prestigious festivals both domestic and abroad. In March 2022, the Texans embarked on their first tour in support of SASQUATCH on the US West Coast. Only two months later, HIGH DESERT QUEEN hit the roads of Europe as a headliner in June 2022, with a return to the other side of the Atlantic with FATSO JETSON in 2023. Underlining the fast rise of this live monster, the newcomers were booked for Desertfest London (UK) and Berlin (DE) and the Truckfighters’ Fuzz Festival (SE) among many others.
Answering the exponentially multiplying requests for new material from their steadily growing following, HIGH DESERT QUEEN flanked their live activities with the “Turned to Stone Ch. 8” split release with BLUE HERON, and contributed a track to “Best of Soundgarden Redux”, the latest instalment of the bestselling Magnetic Eye Records Redux series.
With “Palm Reader”, HIGH DESERT QUEEN have made a quantum leap in their evolution as the Texans found the perfect balance between the well-loved legacy of the desert rock genre and carving out their very own path. Fuelled by the power and spirit of live music, this album rocks as hard and honest as can be done.
Line-up:
Ryan Garney – vocals
Phil Hook – drums
Morgan Miller – bass
Rusty Miller – guitar
Guest musician
Emma Näslund (GAUPA) – vocals on ‘Death Perception’
Recorded by Casey Johns at Yellow Dog Studios, Wimberley, TX (US)
Mixed & Mastering by Karl Daniel Lidén at Studio Tri-Lamb, Solna (SE)
Cover art & album design by PabloRR (72826)
For more info visit:
http://www.highdesertqueen.com
http://www.facebook.com/highdesertqueen
http://www.instagram.com/highdesertqueen
Click image to watch the video
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 