Front Row With Stone Temple Pilots

90’s alternative giants, Stone Temple Pilots and Bush will be rocking their way around the country next month. The Australian Department of Immigration have granted clearance for all Under The Southern Stars Artists and Crew to enter Australia under strict Covid guidelines for the long, long awaited concert series. Sharing the stage with Cheap Trick and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are local legends Rose Tattoo and Electric Mary. All existing tickets are 100% valid for the 2022 event, with promoters in the process of completing all ticket transfers for the re-scheduled dates in March.

This will be the first time Stone Temple Pilots have toured down under with new frontman Jeff Gutt at centre stage. Jeff joined STP in 2017 following an audition for a new vocalist in wake of the tragic passing of former singers, Chester Bennington and Scott Weiland.

Music Festivals Australia caught up with Jeff Gutt via. Zoom meeting from L.A. to discuss Stone Temple Pilots, the weigh in on Core vs. Purple and what it means to carry on the great STP legacy.

Stone Temple Pilots have achieved global success spanning nearly 30 years, including 8 studio albums, multiple MTV and Billboard Awards and a Grammy Award. What is it like to now front for one of the most influential bands of the 90’s?

Ah, well it’s very surreal. I grew up as a fan the same way everyone else did. With the things I’ve learned in my life and all the years in clubs and venues 4 hours a night and you know, 6 nights a week sometimes just putting all that time in for me to be able to walk in the door and have something to offer. That’s a good feeling. Also being able to write with these guys that are amazing writers and artists just in their own right Individually.. put them together and it's just a little surreal. But it’s been awesome. It’s been awesome.

It’s 1992, and Stone Temple Pilots have just released their debut album, Core on Atlantic Records. What did this release mean to you at the time?

I was in high school and I had a band but I was like the guitar player and that was the year that I actually put down the guitar and didn’t pick it up for a whole year and I just concentrated on singing that year. That was the year in particular that there were so many great influential things happening and music was changing so rapidly and there was just so much to really sink your teeth into with all the bands that were out.

“There was a realness to the whole thing, and there was an honesty in that music that I really gravitated toward. That was a great year for me musically as a fan and as someone trying to find their way and teach themselves how to do it.”

— JEFF GUTT

So, is it Core or Purple?

Oh, man! You know what, I’ve always kind of been a Core guy. That record kind of punched me in the face. I definitely dug how they switched It up and changed and were brave enough to not try and write the same record over again. I was very impressed with that and there’s so many great songs on Purple but I’ll always be a Core guy just because it holds a special place in heart, I guess.

I was a Purple girl, and always will be, but there’s validity in all of their albums and especially come Tiny Music and Number 4, completely different albums to the rest.

Yeah to me, that was one of the things I loved about STP. They didn’t want to write the same record over again. You know, they took chances and we just did that Perdida record. And that was all mellow acoustic songs. So they’ve always been a band that just does what they want to do and does it their own way and I’ve always really appreciated that.

Me too as a fan. So talking about Perdida, You released two albums so far with Stone Temple Pilots, one eponymous and then Perdida, as you said it was a very acoustic type of record, but you still kept much to the same tone I suppose and it was a nice evolution with you at the helm. Can you explain the creative process behind those releases at all?

The self-titled, I call it the butterfly record because it’s easier, that was still part of my audition process was when we started getting into the writing of that. After I had a few times with them in the room and just going over things they wanted to bring me into a studio and we did like 6 songs that first day and it was all just gibberish though I wasn’t really saying any words I was just trying to come up with the melodies and the feel of what I was gonna do. I mean I did like 6 that first day so they flew by and a lot of it was like ‘Keep it Simple Stupid’ kind of stuff. If I start thinking too much, then things don’t get done. Every song has its own story. Like “The Art of Letting Go” was a song that we sat down, they had acoustic guitars and we were at the studio and we were in the break room and they just started playing something and I kind of jumped in and they kind of let me take the reins and see if I was gonna crash it or if it was gonna work out. Like taking your parents car out, you know it’s gonna end well or it’s gonna end bad. Luckily that one came out really well and that one in particular is one of those ones where I felt like we accomplished something and they got to learn something about me in that song. The Perdida record was like that as well and some of my friends I grew up with were like ‘man that record sounds exactly like you.’ That made me feel good that the people that knew me the best recognized that that’s the true me right there you know.

What are the highlights and or challenges you’ve had creating music?

The thing with being in a band with those guys, what’s really cool is when they send me some music and I listen to it for the first time and there’s no melody, there’s no lyrics and I just have to figure it out, you know. When you put the headphones on for the first time and I get to listen to it and take it in and see where it takes me or what kind of emotion it gives me or if it gives me a memory of a time in my life or something and then I go from there. It’s like painting almost, you’ve gotta figure out what colours you want to put in there and usually the music just tells you that. And a lot of times they come in and they might have melody ideas or they might have lyrics written already or something. Sometimes it’s just a blank slate. It just depends on the song really.

How did you enjoy the success of these releases?

It’s always good to have people appreciate what you do. When we’re in there writing it the last thing I’m thinking about is whether or not it’s going to be successful or not. I just try to really write the best song I can and do it. Then I forget that everyone’s going to hear it eventually, and I’m like ‘Oh Man.’ Some of the songs of the butterfly record was like, ‘why did you guys let me record it like that and now I have to sing it live?’ It’s hard to sing like that live all the time. Some of the songs I kick myself, but I can usually cool down, so that’s good.

Original singer for Stone Temple Pilots, Scott Weiland had an established fan base in his own right. What does it mean to you to be able to keep their music alive?

It means everything. I remember we were doing a little tour here where we did a couple week run here in the States. There were a lot of little kids there in the front row with their parents. And I’d be like, ‘hey, make sure your parents teach you who Scott was’ because to me, that’s the most gratifying part for me is being able to. A lot of people say the band should have just ended but these guys decided they wanted to continue and they were going to find someone to do that.

“I’m honoured that I get to present his songs so that people get to learn about who he was, so that maybe next the younger generation won’t be robbed of not being able to know who Scott was.”

— JEFF GUTT

Well I appreciate it as a huge Scott Weiland fan. And I liken it to what Alice In Chains did with current singer William Duvall and still made it successful and most importantly familiar.

Nice. Nice.

What’s your favourite song to perform live with the band?

It changes. It changes all the time. It’s like when people ask me what my favourite colour is, it depends on the moment of the day. Obviously I love the Core record and I was teaching myself to sing to a lot of that stuff. So there’s a lot of stuff in there that feels like home to me. There’s also Glide off the Number 4, I love singing that song when we do it. It’s got some little tricky vocal stuff going on with full voice and Falsetto and back into full voice and those transitions. Scott was so good at what he did, that a lot of that stuff is a real pleasure to sing. It’s not the run of the mill four lines and a chorus. It’s a little more interesting and deep and got a lot of things going on. A lot of layers.

This year will mark 5 years since joining the band. What have you learned as an artist during this time, particularly in such a tumultuous climate?

What’s weird is the Perdida record was written before the pandemic cause we were supposed to tour that record and I had to get back surgery so we didn’t get to do that tour. Then Covid hit right after that so it’s probably a good thing we didn’t get to do that tour, actually. Cause it hit right when we would have been out on the road. I would have felt terrible about that.

Yeah it had only been out for a couple months I think before Under The Southern Stars was supposed to go ahead.

Yeah. I was getting in shape for it. I’d had my back surgery and then I was getting in shape when I got out of the hospital for Australia. Then that got cancelled. A couple times. We’re very adamant about going to Australia

We’re very adamant about having you. Well, What keeps you motivated?

You know what, I actually enjoy the vocal rest. Cause I spent so much of my life singing bars and clubs and god knows how many hours a night and how many days a week I had to do that just to pay the rent, so I was hustling. I had to get out there and do it every night so having that break, I didn’t realise that I needed that break so much until it happened. And I was like, Wow it feels good not to have to sing and I could just really rest my throat. And so the first time I ever had a break so long. But I’m definitely ready to get back out there and it sucks not even being able to go to a concert. There was a time there where everything was just done and so it’s good to get that back.

Stone Temple Pilots are headlining a MUCH anticipated Under the Southern Stars next month for dates across Australia. This will be the band’s first Australian Tour since 2011 and the first Australian Tour with you at the helm. What can fans expect from an STP performance?

All those awesome songs that we grew up listening to that I love. I mean, you can’t go wrong with those songs. I just love getting up there and following the set list as I go. Like half of me is a fan and half of me is like Oh, yeah, I gotta go do this. So it’ll be awesome man, I just can’t wait to get out there and do it and look out and see people and see people looking at me. If we can get rid of the technology/communication and do it the old fashioned way.

So any hints on that set list?

I have no idea. If you hear anything, let me know. We’re getting close so it’s getting time to where we’re going to start getting together and doing all that. But I haven’t seen the set list yet, but I’ll let you know as soon as I hear.

I’ll hold you to that. What’s next then? Are we going to maybe see album number 3 with you and Stone Temple Pilots?

I’m sure. I’m sure we will. Because, I mean, I write all the time on my own and those guys are always writing, I know that. There will definitely be the flood gates opening when we get to the time and we set some time aside just for that. But right now it’s just about getting out there and just getting up on stage and playing the songs again. I definitely feel a comfort level now of having done enough shows with those guys that we know what to expect of each other and those guys are great and some of the most professional people I’ve ever met so it’s gonna be great just to get out there and hopefully give the fans exactly what they’re looking for which is a lot of beers and Stone Temple Pilots songs in one night.

Excellent! Australians love that!

Right on!

So what’s next for Jeff Gutt?

Well I just got back to LA, so I’m a little Jet Lagged We have our Super Bowl here for American Football and Los Angeles is in it so that’s exciting. And it’s in Los Angeles so I was thinking I should rent out my apartment for like $3000 a night. I decided to come back and hang out for it so that’ll be fun. Had to tell the family, hey I’ll see you in a couple months. I won’t get back there until April. So right now I’m just getting the old running shoes on and hitting some pavement with my headphones on and kind of getting back in the thought process of at sometime I have to be on stage here and there’s gonna be a lot of people waiting to see what comes out of my mouth, so I wanna be ready

Is there anyone you would like to recognise or attribute to your success?

There’s been a lot of people, too many to mention really that have all participated in my journey. The fact those guys let me into the room to even audition in the first place I have the up most respect for that. They chose to move forward and so obviously I have to thank those guys. But all those years I was doing it and all the clubs I played at and the band members I played with and producers I worked with and there’s been a huge, long list and they’ve all had a part in it. So instead of naming people and leaving people out. That’s how you get in trouble, you know. I’ll just say all of them.

Well we cant wait to see you next month in Australia. Give the band my regards. And thank you for everything and for continuing on with Stone Temple Pilots. It’s been a long lovely 30 years of being a fan.

Yeah me too!

 Tickets and event information available at Under the Southern Stars

Fri, March 11: Maitland Showground, Maitland NSW

Sat, March 12: Fpreshore Reserve, Hastings VIC

Sun, March 13: JC Lowe Oval, Yarrawonga VIC

Wed, March 16: Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne VIC

Fri, March 18: Bonython Park, Adelaide SA

Sat, March 19: Bonython Park, Adelaide SA

Sun, March 20: Bonython Park, Adelaide SA

Tues, March 22: WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong NSW

Wed, March 23: Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney NSW

Fri, March 25: Kings Beach Ampitheatre, Caloundra QLD

Sat, March 26: Southport Sharks, Gold Coast QLD

Sun, March 27: Riverstage, Brisbane QLD

Interview by Pieta Clarke

Images courtesy of Maric Media