Back in October 2017, shortly after celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 1992 debut, Core – and having launched an online search for a new singer that brought in more than 15,000 demos – Stone Temple Pilots went silent.
The band had coped with the deaths of both original singer Scott Weiland in 2015 and his replacement, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, and fans were uncertain whether the alternative rockers had simply given up.
That changed, however, when cryptic messages began surfacing online, eventually revealing a surprise show in Los Angeles for a lucky batch of fans.
On November 14, 2017, fans packed the historic Troubadour in West Hollywood. As the band finally walked onstage, new singer Jeff Gutt grabbed the mic in a way that conjured flashbacks to the band's ’90s heyday. It appeared that Stone Temple Pilots’ hunt was over, and that they’d finally found their new singer.
“You know, for us it’s always been about the power of song,” said bassist Robert DeLeo in the July 2018 issue of Bass Player. “So I didn't know what to expect, but we had already changed the formula with Chester, so we kind of had an idea of what it would be like jumping into that unknown.”
“I can certainly speak for Scott and Chester, too, in saying that the power and longevity of song is why they did it and why we’re still driven to do it. There aren't a lot of things that are more special than the everlasting quality of music. It's part of our soul as humans. And I always just wanted to be a part of that.”
You’ve experienced the death of your lead singer twice. What’s that been like?
I still think about them both, every single day. I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you if it wasn’t for Scott’s contribution to Stone Temple Pilots. We were such an important part of each other’s lives, and I think about him constantly.
Somewhere down the line, he lost his way, and there was nothing we could do about it anymore. As anyone will attest who has dealt with someone with severe addiction, you just wish you could have done more. It’s sad the way he went, and it’s sad to think about him not being here.
I think about Chester every day, too. He was such a talented artist and just a beautiful human. Him not being around anymore still hurts.
A few hours before Chester passed, I sent out a tweet that asked, ‘What do you listen to when it’s dark and late and quiet?’ I wrote that my midnight meditation was a Wes Montgomery song called I Wish I Knew.
A few hours later, I got word that he was gone, and it just hit me so hard. I never listen to that song the same anymore. Those two guys were huge parts of my life, and I miss them dearly.
What was it like working with Chester?
It was such a great experience. He came in with a real understanding of what we wanted to do. When you're with people who do that, you get things done.
Chester jumped right in musically with what we were doing, and he made it clear that he was a fan of the band. For him to come in and lay down what he laid down, I’m really proud of it and very proud of him.
You went on an arduous, open-call hunt to find a new singer. How did you finally find Jeff?
It’s funny, because he wasn’t even one of the 15,000 submissions we got. We tried some great singers, but there were a lot of boxes to check off for us to be happy; we didn’t even know if we could find that person.
Then we heard about a singer in Detroit who we were told would be perfect. Sure enough, he was. And on top of it all, Jeff is a great person, which is one of the most important qualifications for us.
How is Jeff’s chemistry with the band?
I’d know what it was like if it wasn’t going to work out, as I’ve been in that situation before, so I’m not worried about it. With Jeff, it’s a great continuation of what we’ve always been doing, and it’s our way of moving forward.
You’ve played with Johnny Depp in Hollywood Vampires and Joe Perry.
Man, I love Johnny. He’s a brother to me. I think Johnny looks at acting more like his day job. In his heart, he’s a musician first. He’s super-creative, and he’s got music running through his veins all the time. It’s inspiring to be around.
And Aerosmith is one of those bands that’s beyond the sum of it’s individuals; they’re awesome players, musicians, writers and performers.
To a lot of us, hearing Aerosmith was like sex ed. Now, when I play with someone like Joe, it’s like kissing that first girl again.
Lately you’ve been recording with a vintage Fender?
I have a friend who had a guitar shop that closed, and he had about 800 instruments for sale. I asked him if he had any vintage Jazz Basses, and he had this 1967 model that was very inspiring, even just holding it.
I also have a 1965 Fender Precision. Not a lot of people know, but Fender was messing with padauk fingerboards on their ’65 P-Basses, and because of that, this bass has a fingerboard like a Rickenbacker – it has this midrange snot to it.
What advice would you give to a fellow bass player?
Listen to as much music as you can. Growing up, I would listen to Tito Puente as much as I would listen to the Beatles. That's what takes you in entirely new directions. Absorb it all – however much you can get your hands on.
