For the perpetually busy High Desert Queen, this Midwestern run alongside fellow Austinites Gran Moreno in April will precede a Spring European tour set to take place in May. It’s 12 shows, which I’d call more than a warmup, but you can see that part of the occasion is a slot at the second Midwest Doom Coalition Stoner Doom Festival, to be held in Lawrence, Kansas, and of course at this point, High Desert Queen just go. They don’t really need an excuse. Their latest album, 2024’s Palm Reader (review here), will turn two years old while they do this tour.

Gran Moreno‘s debut album, El Sol (discussed here), on the other hand, just came out this month. They were recently brought under the wing of Lick of My Spoon Management, headed by High Desert Queen‘s Ryan Garney, and so yes, the pairing makes sense across multiple levels. I would expect more dates to come from both of these outfits, but perhaps that’s a no-brainer so early in the year. Nonetheless, here I stand, sans brain.

From social media:

HIGH DESERT QUEEN & GRAN MORENO: MIDWEST TAKEOVER TOUR!

High Desert Queen is getting back on the road and looking to take their “Texas sized riffs” to the Midwest. The band is ready to chase tornadoes with the quickly rising Gran Moreno. What show will be see you at?

“We are excited to finally announce we will be hitting the road with our good friends from Austin @granmorenomusic who are hot off a debut album release! There will be lots of energy, heavy riffs, and free hugs!” -Ryan of HDQ

Midwest Takeover Tour:
4/09 Little Rock, AK Stickyz
4/10 Nashville, TN The 5 Spot
4/11 Indianapolis, IN The 808
4/12 Chicago, IL Reggies
4/13 Detroit, MI Sanctuary
4/14 Madison, WI Gamma Ray
4/15 Milwaukee, WI X-Ray Arcade
4/16 Davenport, IA Raccoon Motel
4/17 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck (MDC Doom Fest)
4/18 Tulsa, OK Whittier Bar
4/19 Fort Worth, TX The Cicada
4/20 Austin, TX Far Out Lounge

http://highdesertqueen.bandcamp.com/
http://www.instagram.com/highdesertqueen
https://www.facebook.com/highdesertqueen/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords

granmoreno.bandcamp.com
instagram.com/granmorenomusic

High Desert Queen, Palm Reader (2024)

Gran Moreno, El Sol (2026)

King Buffalo, Dozer, Pelican, High Desert Queen, Blackwater Holylight, Howling Giant, Daevar, Bottenhavet, Moonstone, The Sword, Russian Circles — I mean, do I really need to say more here than the list of names. Desertfest Oslo 2026 will be the third edition of the Norwegian Desertfest installation, and one might accuse them of coming out of the gate swinging. Some of these — The Sword, Earthless, High Desert Queen, etc. — are being shared with Desertfest Berlin and Desertfest London, setting up the possibility of three weeks of touring at least for a few acts here. Then there’s King Buffalo, who I think are just spending their entire summer abroad next year. Not gonna complain about it if there’s a chance I can see them.

To that end, I was lucky enough to be invited to cover Desertfest Oslo last year and, unsurprisingly, I had a blast. Should I be so fortunate as to be invited again, I’ll go, but I’m not about to presume. Whether I’m there to see it or not has no bearing on the sickness of the lineup-thus-far, as you know, but still makes for a nice daydream.

They’ve got tickets on sale now, as per socials:

Let’s get this train running! 🔥

We’ve been so excited to share the first batch of bands coming to Oslo the 8th and 9th of May 2026.

From great geniuses of the genre, to guitar-wielding warlocks of the wasteland. From divine drop-d decibels, to new necromancers of nostalgic noise.

Please welcome to Desertfest Oslo 2026:

🏜 RUSSIAN CIRCLES (US)
🏜 THE SWORD (US)
🏜 EARTHLESS (US)
🏜 KING BUFFALO (US)
🏜 PRIMITIVE MAN (US)
🏜 DOZER (SE)
🏜 PELICAN (US)
🏜 DAEVAR (DE)
🏜 BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT (US)
🏜 WYATT E. (BE)
🏜 HOWLING GIANT (US)
🏜 HIGH DESERT QUEEN (US)
🏜 SPELLJAMMER (SE)
🏜 MOONSTONE (PL)
🏜 KOLLAPS (AUS)
🏜 BOTTENHAVET (SE)
🏜 SUNFACE (NO)
🏜 HÅNDGEMENG (NO)
🏜 UNDULATHUND (SE)

First round of tickets are now on sale 🤝

Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.no/event/desertfest-oslo-2026-festivalpass-8-9mai-billetter/931528219

https://www.desertfest.no/
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_oslo
https://www.facebook.com/desertfestoslo

Earthless, Live in Denton, TX, 10.10.25

So here we are, about 10 days out from High Desert Queen wrapping up their Fall European tour, and as they’ve already been announced for Desertfest Berlin and Desertfest London — if I’ve seen the dates for Desertfest Oslo, I’ve forgotten them, but I would hope it’d be on one of those TBA weekends and double-hope I’m fortunate enough to be back over to Norway for it so I could run into the band there — with apparently more to come in club shows and festivals, if you’re starting to see a pattern, I don’t think it’s accidental.

To wit, back in August, the Austin heavy rockers were just about 10 days out from finishing their summer Euro tour when they announced the one that, now, they’re about 10 days out from wrapping up. Clearly this is a band who wants to have something to look forward to, and honestly, if you can catch on in Europe as High Desert Queen seem to catch on pretty much anywhere they go, you can make yourself way more sustainable than you’d be without that, especially as the dollar tanks owing to, well, everything.

The tour is put on by Sound of Liberation, who posted the following on socials:

⚡HIGH DESERT QUEEN – TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT ⚡

Hej friends,

we’re happy to announce that your new favorite band is hitting the road again! 🤘

High Desert Queen are bringing their heavy desert grooves and southern-fried fuzz to Europe – loud, honest, and full of grit. Born in Texas and forged under the desert sun, the band blends massive riffs, soulful vocals, and psychedelic energy into pure rock ’n’ roll thunder.

Get ready for nights of fuzz, sweat, and volume.

See you out there – your SOL Crew!🌵🔥

HIGH DESERT QUEEN are:
Ryan Garney – vocals
Phil Hook – drums
Morgan Miller – bass
Rusty Miller – guitar

http://highdesertqueen.bandcamp.com/
http://www.instagram.com/highdesertqueen
https://www.facebook.com/highdesertqueen/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords

High Desert Queen, “Time Waster” official video

High Desert Queen, Palm Reader (2024)

Am I crazy (granted) or are we a little early arriving at the place where Desertfest throws down 20-someodd bands — in this case 28 — added all at once to the lineup? I mean, 28 bands, even for a four-day festival, would be a festival lineup. So Desertfest London 2026 is basically showcasing an entire fest’s worth of fest as just part of its broader lineup, the first announcement for which came out just a little over a month ago. I’m not worried about the promo plan or anything, you understand. They know what they’re doing. But I usually think of this kind of thing coming in winter as a hopeful portent of spring. Here in the backwater US, we haven’t even changed the clocks yet.

But can you blame them for being excited? If I had Hermano, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Solace, Causa Sui, High Desert Queen, Steak, Abrams, Alunah, Moundrag, Bismut and the rest of this cohort — Dandy Brown pulling double-duty between Hermano and Lorquin’s Admiral; nice — locked in, I might splurge too. And hopefully I’ll have more to say on this subject, but Solace‘s booked return to the UK has me convinced their new album will be out by the time they go. Do me a favor and don’t prove me wrong.

There’s a lot to like here, and also just a lot for what’s a relatively straightforward list of names. Read ’em and weep:

OUR SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT IS HERE! We’ve got 28 juicy additions to our 2026 edition and this announcement one is truly one for the DF OGs right here: desert legends HERMANO will headline the Electric Ballroom at Desertfest 2026.

Back to show us all how it’s done, John Garcia and the California cult icons will be playing their first UK show in almost two decades and we know that they’ll receive the homecoming they deserve at Desertfest London.

↠ Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – returning to Desertfest stage for the first time in 8 years.

↠ Danish heavy psych heroes turned instrumental wizards Causa Sui make their Desertfest London debut!

↠ New Jersey stoner-doom veterans Solace playing their first UK show in over a decade.

And that’s not all, folks! We’ve still to announce our final headliner for our second stint at the Roundhouse, but in the meantime we’ve prepared a mighty offering that we know you’ll love in our latest round of artists set for 2026:

HERMANO
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
Causa Sui
Zig Zags
Steak Band
Solace
Deaf Club
Witchsorrow
High Desert Queen
MOUNDRAG
KOMODOR
Alunah
CULT OF OCCULT
Forlorn
LORQUIN’S ADMIRAL
OMO
ALPHAWHORES
Abrams
Bismut
Okay You Win UK
Ironrat
Kannabinõid
MOLTEN SLAG
HASHTRONAUT
ISAK
SUPERNAUGHTT
Teiger
Nomadic Reign

Phase 2 tickets are on sale now: https://link.dice.fm/Desertfest2026

https://www.desertfest.co.uk/
http://www.desertscene.co.uk/support
https://www.instagram.com/desertfest_london/
https://www.facebook.com/DesertfestLondon

Hermano, When the Moon Was High (2024)

First of all, this art frigging rules. Kuba Sokolski Illustration is apparently the party responsible for the look of Desertfest Berlin 2026, and I dig it. The colors, the theme, the implication of narrative in becoming part of something bigger than yourself. Oh yeah, and the first band announcements are pretty killer too.

Russian Circles, Hermano, The Sword, Acid King, King Buffalo, Truckfighters, Earthless, Crippled Black Phoenix, Pelican, Mother’s Cake, High Desert Queen, Zerre, and Dope Purple comprise the first cohort to join the lineup, and aside from having me at Acid King and King Buffalo — which, yeah; also Hermano — it’s good to see The Sword will take their reunion to Europe next Spring, and Truckfighters will likely be out supporting their new album, which is due around that time as well.

This won’t be nearly all of it, but it’s plenty and it’s a killer start. As with every year, I look forward to seeing how Desertfest and the European underground circuit will shape up for next Spring. Here’s the announce from social media:

BERLIN, THE DESERT IS CALLING! 🌌

We’re beyond stoked to drop the first wave for Desertfest Berlin 2026 // 14.-16. May 2026 – and it’s a riff-heavy ride straight into the void 🌙

Russian Circles will crush you with their cinematic post-metal soundscapes, while desert rock legends Hermano return with John Garcia at the helm. Texas riff titans The Sword are back to shake the ground, and the mighty Acid King keep the doom thick and smoky. King Buffalo invite you to drift away on cosmic psych grooves, while fuzzlords Truckfighters bring the Swedish desert storm with their first new album in 10 years.

Earthless will melt your mind with endless space jams, and Crippled Black Phoenix deliver apocalyptic rock full of grandeur. Expect instrumental heaviness from Chicago pioneers Pelican, plus wild progressive energy from Mother’s Cake. Adding Texan groove power from High Desert Queen, new wave of würzburgs thrash metal Zerre, and psych-doom freakouts from Taiwan’s Dope Purple – the storm is real.

If this line-up speaks to your soul – better grab your tickets now before they vanish into the haze: www.desertfest.de

DESERTFEST BERLIN 2026
14.-16. MAY 2026
COLUMBIA VENUES, BERLIN

WEEKEND TICKETS: 169€ on www.desertfest-tickets.de

⚡FIRST ANNOUNCEMENTS⚡
RUSSIAN CIRCLES
HERMANO
THE SWORD
ACID KING
KING BUFFALO
TRUCKFIGHTERS
EARTHLESS
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX
PELICAN
MOTHER’S CAKE
HIGH DESERT QUEEN
ZERRE
DOPE PURPLE
AND MANY MORE!

Your Desertfest Berlin Crew!

Join our Facebook Event for all Updates: DESERTFEST BERLIN 2026: https://www.facebook.com/events/2135415456871801/

✨ARTWORK by Kuba Sokolski Illustration

www.desertfest.de
www.instagram.com/desertfest_berlin
www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin

Hermano, Live at Hellfest 2025

Let’s do an oldschool ’90s rock radio ‘shout out’ to any and everybody at Ripplefest Texas 2025 this weekend in Austin, Texas. If you’re seeing this and you’re there, I hope you’re having the time of your life (and hope it’s in between sets; put your phone down) and I have little doubt that you are. Stay hydrated and enjoy yourself.

Even as this year’s fest is underway, however, the event headed by Ryan Garney of Lick of My Spoon Productions (also vocals in High Desert Queen) throws down the first names for 2026 perhaps as an invite in advance. I haven’t looked to see if as of posting this the 100 tickets are gone, but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if 100 people there now for 2025 decided to pick them up ahead of time for next year. You’ve already got Greenleaf, Kal-El, Freedom Hawk, High Desert Queen, Solace, Blue Beron, Borracho, Thunderhorse, Plaindrifter and Robots of the Ancient World. It is not lost on me that this is more than the entire lineups of some festivals.

And that’s okay too, mind you.

But it is obviously suitable that Ripplefest Texas 2026 should go big from the start, and it goes without saying that one looks forward to seeing how the lineup shakes out over the next however-many months before all is revealed.

Whatever else the next year brings, knowing it’s going to bring Greenleaf to US shores is heartwarming. Once again, if you’re at Ripplefest, enjoy. If you’re anywhere else, this might have you thinking of different plans for next year around this time. From social media:

RippleFest Texas 2026 Sept. 17-20, 2026 at The Far Out Lounge and Sagebrush.

Only 100 4 day passes available! Get yours now: www.lickofmyspoon.com

2026 First Bands Announced

Greenleaf
Freedom Hawk
High Desert Queen
Daily Thompson
Kal-El
Solace
Robots of the Ancient World
Thunder Horse
Borracho
Blue Heron
Plaindrifter

https://linktr.ee/Lickofmyspoon
http://www.lickofmyspoon.com/
https://www.instagram.com/LOMSProductions/
https://www.facebook.com/LOMSProductions

Greenleaf, Live in Nantes, France, April 1, 2025

Was it literally last week that High Desert Queen finished their last round of European touring? No. It was literally 10 days ago. So not last week.

Nonetheless, the hit-the-road-hard-and-don’t-look-back Austin, Texas, heavy rock flagbearers are once more about to… well, hit the road hard and not look back, again. Complementing the summer tour is a Fall run that starts in Spain at the end of September and will take the four-piece not only through the Tabernas Desert Rock Fest, which looks and by all reports I’ve ever heard is incredible, as well as Keep it Low and Desertfest Belgium, the latter rounding out, with club dates between still with a couple TBAs in the bunch. If you can help out, do. The show they put on will be your reward, and that’s plenty.

I’m not sure what the situation might’ve been, but the tour High Desert Queen just wrapped didn’t include the father-daughter duo of guitarist Rusty Miller and bassist Morgan Miller (flanking in the photo above). There was no word of an actual lineup change — they’d be tough to replace in terms of both their playing and the character of the band — and as they continue to support last year’s righteous sophomore LP, Palm Reader (review here), I’m assuming the Miller contingent will be along for the trip. But I don’t know that, so keep an eye on their always-active socials for more announcements/clarity.

That said, this tour isn’t officially officially officially announced I think until Thursday, so it’s a sneaky kind of exclusive that I’m happy to host. My thanks to Ryan Garney and the band for the faith.

Have at it:

HIGH DESERT QUEEN – Europe Fall 2025

“We can’t wait to take our “Heavy Texas Groove” to places in the world we have never been! We hope to meet some new people and see some familiar faces along the way. The riffs will be heavy and the HUGS WILL BE FREE!” -Ryan Garney

High Desert Queen Fall EU Tour 25
Date – City – Venue
30/9 Malaga, SP ZZ Pub
1/10 Alicante, SP El Bunker
2/10 Cordoba, SP A.C. Recycle
3/10 Tabernas, SP Tabernas Desert Fest
4/10 Castellon, SP Sala Tal
5/10 Madrid, SP Wurlitzer Ballroom
6/10 TBA
7/10 Marseille, FR Molotov
8/10 TBA
9/10 Lucerne, CH Sedel Club
10/10 Karlsruhe, DE Alte Hackerei
11/10 Munich, DE Keep It Low Festival
12/10 Nürnberg, DE Black Box
13/10 TBA
14/10 TBA
15/10 Rotterdam, NL Roodkapje
16/10 Munster, DE Rare Guitar
17/10 Hamburg, DE Hafenklang
18/10 Asendorf, DE Kulturhaus B.O.
19/10 Antwerp, BE DesertFest Antwerp

HIGH DESERT QUEEN are:
Ryan Garney – vocals
Phil Hook – drums
Morgan Miller – bass
Rusty Miller – guitar

http://highdesertqueen.bandcamp.com/
http://www.instagram.com/highdesertqueen
https://www.facebook.com/highdesertqueen/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords

High Desert Queen, “Time Waster” official video

High Desert Queen, Palm Reader (2024)

Note the butt-load of fests included in the upcoming round of European touring for Austin, Texas, heavy rollers High Desert Queen. As their recent-enough-to-call-it-new new video for “Time Waster” demonstrates, that’s par for the course for when they get out, and if you’ve seen them before, you know the good times that ensue from there. Big riffs, communal vibes, the whole nine. You get that in the video plus a bit of behind-the-scenes whathaveyou, light shenanigans and make-your-own-fun waiting around. Tour, in other words. It was shot on tour.

I know we’re just about at a year out from Palm Reader (review here), their second LP and first for Magnetic Eye, but I can’t help but be curious what their third album might tell in terms of their sound. Seems like a band who’ve hit every big ‘moment’ they’ve had to face thus far in their tenure absolutely head-on. So what’s that ‘next step’ like for that band? That’s what I’m wondering, despite the fact that I have no idea when we’ll find out. I wouldn’t expect a third LP in 2025, but they do seem to enjoy a bit of momentum.

As seen on socials, posted by Magnetic Eye:

You can take the Europeans out of Texas, but you can’t keep the Texans out of Europe! (Not our best, but might be a viable joke in there) Our own HIGH DESERT QUEEN will head back across the pond this summer for a massive run of club dates and festival appearances as they continue to spread their addictive 2024 slab of heaviness ‘Palm Reader’ to receptive minds and ears far and wide 🎸👍🔥 Celebrating the occasion, they’ve released a new tour footage video for the album track “Time Waster” which is live now on our YouTube 👀 Go check out the video featuring the legends in Faso Jetson and get your tickets now for High Desert Queen’s upcoming European dates:

HIGH DESERT QUEEN Europe Summer Tour 2025
25 JUL 2025 Karlsruhe (DE) Das Fest
26 JUL 2025 Gent (BE) Gent City Festival
27-31 JUL 2025 TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
01 AUG 2025 Beelen (DE) Krach am Bach Fest
02 AUG 2025 Porta Westfalica (DE) Festivalkult
03 AUG 2025 Amsterdam (NL) De VerbroederIJ
05 AUG 2025 Bremen (DE) Meisenfrei Blues Club
06 AUG 2025 Recklinghausen (DE) Backyard Club
07 AUG 2025 Hannover (DE) Perle
08 AUG 2025 Sudwalde (DE) MuTaChi Fest
09 AUG 2025 Wedehorn (DE) Eekboom Open Air
10 AUG 2025 Dresden Chemiefabrik
11 AUG 2025 Bamberg (DE) Live Club
13 AUG 2025 Cham (DE) L.A. Club
14 AUG 2025 Kusel (DE) Kinett
15 AUG 2025 Stemwede (DE) Stemweder Open Air
16 AUG 2025 TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
Poster by @72826_

HIGH DESERT QUEEN are:
Ryan Garney – vocals
Phil Hook – drums
Morgan Miller – bass
Rusty Miller – guitar

https://www.facebook.com/highdesertqueen/
http://www.instagram.com/highdesertqueen
http://highdesertqueen.bandcamp.com/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/

High Desert Queen, “Time Waster” official video

High Desert Queen, Palm Reader (2024)