Fri 9 January 2026 21:00, UK

When you consider just how much the sound of the Arctic Monkeys has changed over the years, from the streets of Sheffield to the shine of LA, you realise there’s only one man to thank: Josh Homme.

That might seem counterintuitive to everything the legacy of a band should stand for – that an outside influence of another frontman should worm his way into the heart of the operation and change the essence of what made the Arctic Monkeys so beloved in the first place, transforming them into slick Stateside art aficionados.

But as the friendship forged and deepened between Homme and his fellow frontman Alex Turner, so too did their artistic influences on one another, with the Californian calibre of Queens of the Stone Age rubbing off on the Sheffield natives more than any of them could have anticipated when they first crossed paths.

When the Arctic Monkeys’ focus shifted from boozy nights out to dark and desolate deserts, all practically at the flick of a switch, on their 2009 album Humbug, this is where you realise that Homme must have injected his influence somewhere along the way. That happened once again on their seismic 2013 record AM, with songs like ‘R U Mine’ and ‘Do I Wanna Know’ stating the case most clearly. 

However, it’s evident that Homme didn’t just shoehorn himself into a space where he wasn’t welcome. He had watched the band from both near and far over the years, and came to recognise a certain set of talents in Turner that he knew could not be replicated by anyone else in the industry. 

Calling the frontman “one of the most talented songwriters and lyric writers that is out there,” in a 2013 interview, it was coming off the back of being involved in the process of AM, which made him realise once and for all what a rock and roll force Turner was to be reckoned with. But more than just his artistic talents, it was a real human connection which drew them both close to each other. 

“If I’d have grown up in Sheffield, I’d have hung out with Alex,” Homme said, perhaps romanticising that version of reality just a little but very much conveying that he had found a kindred spirit in a frontman much like himself. There was a coolness, a suaveness, and a certain nonchalance which they shared – and it also helped that they could put a pen to paper and write a decent song, too.

In many ways, Homme is almost like the fifth unsung member of the Arctic Monkeys, where he has been by their side in every area except standing up on stage. He knows he has his own band as that outlet, but if it weren’t for his British brothers in arms of indie sleaze, his world would never have opened up to whole new possibilities of rock horizons.

That’s what truly sets bands like the Arctic Monkeys and Queens of the Stone Age apart in the music industry: that they don’t exist just in their own bubbles, and aren’t afraid to lean on the influence of each other when they need to. It could be because of shared artistic visions or finding personal kindred spirits, but either way, there is nothing which will break that intrinsic bond.

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