Troy Van Leeuwen

Troy Van Leeuwen
Van Leeuwen performing with Queens of the Stone Age in 2007.
Background information
Also known as	T.V. Leeuwen, Troy De Van Leeuwen, TVL, Tweezil Von Smoothy
Born	Los Angeles, United States
Genres	Alternative rock, space rock, stoner rock, desert rock, psychedelic rock, blues rock, art rock, neo-psychedelia
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, engineer, producer, multi-instrumentalist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards, piano, harp, lap steel guitar, bass guitar, percussion, drums, violin, banjo, cello, vibraphone
Years active	1983–present
Labels	Warner Bros. Records, EMI, Virgin Records, Interscope Records, The Control Group, Matador, Beggars Banquet
Associated acts	Queens of the Stone Age, Desert Sessions, Enemy, Failure, The Wondergirls, A Perfect Circle, The Gutter Twins, Eagles of Death Metal, Mark Lanegan, Sweethead, Puscifer, Gone Is Gone, Iggy Pop
Notable instruments
Fender Jazzmaster Gibson Les Paul Echopark Guitars Yamaha Guitars Fender Telecaster Custom Gibson ES-135

Troy Van Leeuwen is an American musician and producer. He is best known as the guitarist for the rock band, Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA), for which he has served since 2002. He is also known for his work with the seminal rock band Failure, and with alternative rock supergroup A Perfect Circle, as well as recordings with QOTSA members' side projects such as the Desert Sessions, Mondo Generator, Eagles of Death Metal and the Gutter Twins. Van Leeuwen created his first side-project, Enemy, in 2005, Sweethead, in 2008, Gone Is Gone, in 2016, and toured with Iggy Pop supporting his album Post Pop Depression made with QOTSA bandmates Josh Homme and Dean Fertita.

Van Leeuwen has a Dutch surname (he has ancestors from the Netherlands and has described himself as a third-generation American). He became interested in music at an early age and his dad would play early rock and roll records such as Chuck Berry. His first big influence in learning how to play rock came through listening to Led Zeppelin records. Playing drums initially, Van Leeuwen sought to imitate Zeppelin drummer, John Bonham, but later switched to guitar and discovered that he had an aptitude for it. He cites Jimmy Page as a big influence:

I would have to say that Jimmy Page was the first influence I had as a guitar player. There were so many textures and different sounds that he got. The riffs that he made were undeniably great. Every one of them. Even the mistakes he made were great. So to me, that was a great first influence.