SCOTT WEILAND Wrote Them

ISSUE #39 MMUSICMAG.COM ISSUE #39 MMUSICMAG.COM Q&A fulfi lling. I have to keep evolving, otherwise record them, my favorite part was when You’ve had a career with extreme highs it would all get quite boring. But I think it we processed songs and added effects and lows. Did you ever want to quit? was hard for some STP fans to wrap their for coloring and mood. Some extra guitar Not really. But I’ve always been interested heads around—and probably it was the same parts were added that are quite ethereal and in being a producer. That’s something I still with “Happy” in Galoshes. But this record is changed the songs for the better. want to do. I’ve done a little bit of it. I have defi nitely more of a rock album. We set out my own commercial recording studio. But to have our own sound, though, and I think The album includes two British glam- music’s what I do. With this record, I haven’t we achieved that. rock covers—did that era infl uence you? been as excited since making my fi rst album, Defi nitely. Bowie is my wife’s favorite musical Core. I got to make it with close friends, Describe your writing process. artist. But as an artistic and fashion and and we put a lot of high expectations on I started writing the album with the guys in musical infl uence, he’s a good gauge on ourselves to make the best album possible. the band—we collaborated on the songs. whether you’re changing artistically. I think Some were just riffs I had for a while that it’s very good to change artistically. I listened You always seem especially comfortable never worked out. But this time, we put to a lot of that music growing up, especially onstage. Why? those ideas down and it worked. I had the in high school. Even with STP, when we It’s always been that way. I’ve always riff on “White Lightning” sitting around for started making our third album, Tiny Music, enjoyed being onstage. I’ve fi gured out quite some time. Same goes for the riff in “Amethyst.” My guitar player, Jeremy Brown, came up with a lot of the riffs, too. He would bring them to rehearsals and we’d suss out those ideas, I’d write melodies and lyrics, and they’d become songs we’d fi nish together. Jamie How did you meet your bandmates? Weiland We’ve known each other for around nine years. They jammed with me on the “Happy” in Galoshes tour and some of them played on that album. But this is the fi rst time we decided to form a band to make a band album, to work creatively as a band. What was your process in the studio? We got into a creative mode early. We’d Photos/Landov make our own demos of the songs as we SCOTT WEILAND wrote them. Once we’d sussed those out, Suzan/PA we’d get together with our producer, Rick The former STP frontman returns to rock ’n’ roll on his latest solo set Parker, and record them. Then we’d go back out on the road for a few weeks and come BLASTER IS SCOTT WEILAND’S THIRD excess were revealed in national headlines declaration of self-determination, “20th back for more studio work. Onstage in London, 2007 solo album and his fi rst under the moniker over the years, and in his 2011 memoir, Century Boy”), and British glam rock (David Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts. But Not Dead and Not for Sale. Bowie’s ode to bohemian debauchery, “The Why did you choose Rick to produce we ventured into glam- whatever the name, any music Weiland With his chaotic past in the rearview Jean Genie”). Weiland’s fondness for Bowie the new record? rock territory with “Big ‘I have to keep evolving, releases lines up with the unforgettable mirror, Weiland, 47, is fi rmly focused on his was previously on display in “Happy” in I hadn’t worked with him before, but Tommy Bang Baby.” output of his former bands: ’90s alt-rock new music. Blaster was recorded at his Galoshes’ cover of “Fame.” had been in bands with Rick and worked otherwise it would all get greats Stone Temple Pilots, and supergroup Lavish Studios in Burbank, Calif., with Rick with him. It was great working with Rick. “White Lightning” Velvet Revolver, with Slash and Duff Parker (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Beck, Compared to your previous solo albums, We just recorded a new song, “Back to the was influenced by quite boring.’ McKagan. At separate times over the past 20 the Von Bondies) at the helm, along with the Blaster is a return to rock ’n’ roll. City,” with him the other night. The song fi ts Lawless, a fi lm about years, both bands enjoyed monster careers, Wildabouts—guitarist Jeremy Brown, bassist Defi nitely. That was the whole idea of my right in with the others on the album. It has moonshiners. earning Weiland a couple of Grammys and Tommy Black and drummer Danny Thompson. forming the band with these guys. My two a lot of the same guitar tones, but it has a We were just starting to work on the song, my own style of performance. I’ve taken all album sales in the tens of millions. Compared to his more eclectic solo previous solo albums were more artistic swing beat, and it’s really quite slinky. It’s a and I saw the fi lm and was inspired by the the infl uences I had and come up with my But along with the ecstasy of brilliant albums—1998’s 12 Bar Blues and 2008’s adventures. There’s a lot of different music departure only because of the beat. We’ll story. I thought it paired nicely with the own signature style. success, Weiland has also suffered the “Happy” in Galoshes—Blaster is more that’s infl uenced me throughout my life. After probably make it available on iTunes when song’s powerful stomp, which you hear in agony of substance abuse, brushes with straight-up rock, colored with shades of being in STP, when I took a break to do my the album comes out. the riff and the beat. Tell us about the new tour. the law, and tumultuous relationships with chunky feral blues (“White Lightning”), fi rst solo album I wanted to do something We’ll play most of the songs from Blaster, bandmates. Vivid details of his rock-star breezy pop rock (“Beach Pop” and T. Rex’s that was a departure. Personally, it was very Any favorite songs? How do you view STP’s legacy? but we’ll throw in songs from STP and Velvet I’m proud of how the whole album turned We were very fortunate. That’s the beautiful Revolver as well. We have taken a lot of out, but I have some favorites: “Way She thing about those kinds of songs: If you’re effort to make them ours, rather than just Moves,” “Hotel Rio,” “Modzilla” and “Circles.” successful with an album, then the songs do them as those two bands did them. It ‘I’m quite fortunate in that I have written some songs That was one of the fi rst songs we recorded, on that album are just everlasting. I’m quite was important that we found a way to make that have lasted—and that’s quite an honor.’ actually. From the point of writing them fortunate in that I have written some songs those songs our own. and rehearsing them and then going in to that have lasted—and that’s quite an honor. –Kenneth Partridge 36 37 M mag 39.indd 36 3/4/15 4:26 PM M mag 39.indd 37 3/4/15 7:57 PM.

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