New singer Jeff Gutt a good fit for iconic grunge, hard rock band
Expect to see a new lead singer on stage tonight, but don’t expect Stone Temple Pilots to sound anything less than great.
The band has kept busy with their newest lead singer Jeff Gutt, from the release of their newest single titled “Meadow” to launching a Canadian tour with Seether, Default, and Age of Days.
They’re set to stop at the South Okanagan Events Centre tonight with their Poison the Parish tour.
Stone Temple Pilots began their search for a new lead singer in 2016 after firing frontman and co-founding member Scott Weiland in 2013. He was replaced by Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, who later left STP in 2015 to focus solely on Linkin Park.
News of Weiland’s tragic and unexpected death emerged in December 2015 following his accidental drug overdose. Devastatingly, Bennington died just over a year and a half later of a suicide in July 2017.
Gutt joined STP in late 2017 after auditioning for the band.
“I almost felt a sense of duty to throw my hat in the ring,” he said in a phone interview. He had met Bennington several times in the past and knew STP very well, despite never meeting the band.
“It was really strange seeing them in person the first time, it felt like I knew them. It was cool to be able to walk in there and sing songs that had such an impact on me.”
Being chosen as the band’s newest singer, he said, has been a blessing for him.
Gutt has remained true to his singing and songwriting methods, stating that he creates the melody with his bandmates first and fills in the lyrics later.
“I try to do what the music tells me to do,” he said. “The music dictates what I have to do . . . and I try to keep it as organic and free as possible.”
STP is known for their iconic grunge sound, and lead guitarist Dean DeLeo previously said that the band wanted someone who would do earlier songs justice while “carving out a new path” for the band.
And with one listen to STP’s newest single, it’s clear that Gutt is a good fit.
The Grammy winners have had seven studio albums since 1992 including Purple, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Recognizable songs from the band’s catalogue include Out of Time, Between the Lines, Interstate Love Song, All the Suit That You Wear, Sour Girl, Big Bang Baby, Tripin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart, Plus and Vasoline.
Stone Temple Pilots and Seether perform tonight at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Tickets are $42.50, $62.50 and $72.50 plus tax and service fee. Doors open at 7 p.m.