Nothing really special..
You could fill a book detailing the disagreements members of Stone Temple Pilots have had over the past two decades. But you'd only need two words to explain what keeps bringing them back together: The music.
"Even when things were pretty ugly in the STP camp, the live performances were still wonderful," says drummer Eric Kretz. "That's the one language we speak."
Fans feared they'd never speak it again when they split in 2002. Band members wondered, too, but, says Kretz, "we always knew we had unfinished music to create together."
After various outside projects, Kretz, lead singer Scott Weiland, bassist Robert DeLeo and guitarist Don DeLeo got back together in 2008 for a 65-date tour. Even though there were unsettled issues off-stage, they got along well on stage. "We perform and write well together," Kretz explains. "It's when you deal with the personalities that troubles come in. And we can deal with that."
The tour was so invigorating the four decided to produce a new album -- their first in eight years. "When you keep playing the old material every night, you start chomping at the bit to be creative," Kretz says.
When the time was right, the DeLeo brothers came in "with a huge arsenal of completed material. We learned the songs, trying to get the right attitude. Scott put his magic on them and we got an album that's along the lines of the first. It has a lot of layers and a lot of dynamics."
Slated for release in May, that new release is getting a test drive on the band's current tour -- which stops in Sioux City Wednesday. Kretz says STP will play four or five cuts to give fans a taste.
Producing it was relatively easy, particularly since the music was recorded at Kretz's Bomb Shelter Studios in Los Angeles. Weiland, who has his own studio in Burbank, recorded vocals there. To give it an eclectic sound, STP used a collection of vintage music gear and microphones.
"We kept away from everybody else. We didn't have a lot of visitors," Kretz says. Outside forces led to some of the early squabbles. Isolating themselves kept the focus on what mattered -- the music.
"We learned we have to accept people where they are," Kretz says. "If we didn't have any drama or dynamics, we'd probably be a boring band. There are four distinct personalities and that's where you get the edge in the music and the edge in the performances. Think back to high school. When you develop your chops as a musician, you're not going along with what everyone says. It's when you find the right collection of musicians that you get a really great band."
While Kretz concedes STP relationships could change from month to month, there's a united spirit that binds. There's also an ability to play live that helps the four consistently sell out arenas.
"Modern technology can make lousy musicians sound very good on record," Kretz says. "You can be creative and not be a master of your craft. But if you try to tour and you don't have the skills, it's going to be hard to captivate an audience."
Young bands need to go beyond that technology and prove they know how to play. Since digital downloads are changing the face of the industry, touring is key. “You’ve got to want to see them over and over if they hope to survive.”
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