Stone Temple Pilots plan to 'evolve'

Stone Temple Pilots guitarist Dean DeLeo says the band will be ready to get to work on new material almost immediately once they appoint a new singer.

They posted a video at the weekend inviting applications from vocalists who feel they have what it takes to replace Chester Bennington, who stepped down last year.

And DeLeo says he, brother Robert and drummer Eric Kretz are itching to get to work as soon as possible.

He tells Rolling Stone: “Robert, Eric and I have a lot of material kicking around. We really want to be able to make new music and forge on, move forward, evolve.”

Candidates can download instrumental versions of STP tracks including Interstate Love Song, Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart and Vasoline, record themselves singing along and then upload them to the band’s website, where STP will be able to hear them.

DeLeo adds: “A great singer will carry an average band. A great band won’t carry an average singer. So what we’re looking for is a pretty tall order.

“We’ve had the fortune of playing with some of the greatest and most talented singers out there. Robert, Eric and I know what we want, and when that person walks into a room, we’ll know.”

Original STP frontman Scott Weiland died last year. Although he was estranged from the group, his passing still hit them hard.

DeLeo adds: “It sucks. I wasn’t in much contact at all with Scott for a few years. But I’m reminded and think about him daily. And when I say it’s sad, I’m not referring to Robert, Eric or I – we were divorced and most likely never going to work with Scott again.

“What really, really bums me out is we all have kids. He’s not going to see his daughter go to her first dance or his son go to his prom or help him parallel park. That’s what really, really brings me down.”

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.