The band’s debut album Mer De Noms became the highest ever debut for a rock band, selling 188,000 copies in its first week. After recording three tracks on A Perfect Circle’s second album, Van Leeuwen auditioned for Josh Homme’s Queens of the Stone Age and was welcomed into the band as their second guitar player. In addition to guitar, Van Leeuwen was also required to play lap steel and keyboards. Since joining the band in 2002, Van Leeuwen has played on three studio albums: Lullabies to Paralyze in 2005, Era Vulgaris in 2007 and …Like Clockwork in 2013. He has also recorded with various band members’ side projects such as The Desert Sessions, Mondo Generator, Eagles of Death Metal and The Gutter Twins. He created his first side project Enemy in 2005 and then moved to a new side project, Sweethead.
