Queens of the Stone Age and Mini Mansions‘ Michael Shuman has returned as GLU on the streetwise new single ‘Pony Boy’.
Shuman has released music as GLU since 2022, with his debut EP ‘My Demons’ chronicling struggle, loss, addiction, and childhood trauma.
Now, he’s returned to the genre-blending project with ‘Pony Boy’, which features a gurgling bassline set against a strutting beat, as Shuman raps ferociously about hiding from the limelight on top.
“I am a pretty private person”, Shuman says of the track. “This song discusses the ways in which that privacy has been attempted to be broken and infiltrated. Living in Los Angeles, and growing up here has made it somewhat difficult to navigate them. Especially being in this business, people want to know everything about you. Where you went last night, what you had for breakfast, who you’re dating.
“I think it’s really important to keep some sort of anonymity,” he continued. “I’m not a big fan of putting myself out there on social media, yet I know that it’s part of the modern music business promotion. I’ve seen this with other people in my life and it can quickly steal away a piece of your identity.”
Take a listen to ‘Pony Boy’ below:
We last spoke to Shuman about GLU in 2022, where he spoke to us about his love for hip-hop. “Sometimes I hate to use the word ‘rapping’,” he told us. “It’s not exactly hip-hop music, but when I played it for some friends the response was that it was maybe the best thing I’d done and didn’t sound like I was putting on an act.”
“There’s a fine line when you’re doing this kind of music as a white male,” he added. “It’s not a joke, and I want people to actually take me seriously for the rhymes and production that I’m doing.”
Meanwhile, QOTSA will be opening for Foo Fighters on their massive North American stadium tour this year. The band have so far announced a slew of dates in Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Nashville, Vancouver, Las Vegas and other cities, with many more dates to come.
Tickets for all concerts go on general sale at 10am local time next Friday (October 31) –buy yours here.
Elsewhere, watch Josh Homme and Norah Jones cover Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Somethin’ Stupid’.