The super-duo, which Iggy Pop and Homme have secretly been working on since last January, will release a full-length record called Post Pop Depression on March 18 according to QOTA’s Instagram page. Homme and Iggy Pop debuted the project on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night with the first single Gardenia.
The duo’s upcoming LP is being painted as a continuation of sorts from Iggy Pop’s 1977 record Lust for Life, which was a collaborative effort with David Bowie. “Where those records pointed, it stopped,” explained Homme. “But without copying it, that direction actually goes for miles. And when you keep going for miles you can’t see these two records any more.”
Neither rocker was allowed to contribute complete songs to the record, according to the New York Times. Instead, both musicians brought ideas to the table that they would then flesh out in the studio. The duo recorded Post Pop Depression in Homme’s studios located in Joshua Tree and Burbank, CA.
Gardenia is a sleek crooner, mixing lush guitars in the chorus (with Homme adding guitar and backing vocals), contrasted with a bare-bones string of verses featuring Iggy’s transfixing baritone voice.
When asked to explain the album’s theme, Iggy Pop — now 68 — had a simple answer: “What happens after your years of service? And where is the honor?”
The duo also plan to embark on a short tour promoting the record in March. The setlist will also feature songs from Lust for Life, including Success which has never been performed live, according to the Times.
Iggy Pop last released a record called Ready to Die in 2013. Homme, who has been taking more time away from Queens of the Stone Age, released a record with side project Eagles of Death Metal last fall. You can see the duo’s excellent interview with Colbert below.
Updated 1/22/2015 by Ryan Waniata: Added the video from the performance and interview on Colbert.