STP Reveal New Lead Singer, New Single
Stone Temple Pilots made it official on Tuesday night (November 14); Former The X-Factor finalist Jeff Gutt is the group’s new singer, debuting with the band at a private show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Gutt was the last of the STP members to take the stage, following bassist Robert DeLeo, guitarist Dean DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz and sporting a name tag on his chest that read, “Hi, My Name is Jeff.”
Gutt has been rumored for some months as the “winner” of an extensive STP search to find a third lead singer to follow in the footsteps of the late Scott Weiland and Chester Bennington.
Gutt was recommended to Robert DeLeo while the bassist was touring with Hollywood Vampires last summer and stopped in Gutt’s home town of Detroit. Robert DeLeo tells us that the reasons for the group’s choice are pretty obvious:
“He can sing, you know. He can sing. He’s a singer…There are many singers that come in that can sing, too. That’s not only what we’re looking for. There’s a lot of things to look at to really, really choose someone to move forward with.”
In a statement, Dean DeLeo said that, “We wanted someone who would not only do our earlier songs justice, but would also write new songs and carve out a different path forward with us. It took some time, but we found our guy.”
Gutt, who started working with STP in secret during September of 2016, added in his own statement that, “No one will ever fill Scott’s shows and I’m not trying to — he’s a legend. But these songs deserve to be performed and people want to hear them. I’m just honored that the guys chose me to help them continue to build this band’s legacy.”
The new-look STP played a variety of favorites from its catalog during Tuesday’s hour-long show, including “Plus,” “Interstate Love Song,” “Vasoline” and “Down” as well as a new single, “Meadow,” while MC5 veteran Wayne Kramer joined the group for a version of that band’s “Kick Out The Jams.”
“Meadow” will be officially released later this week but can be heard below, while a new album announcement is expected shortly.
Gary Graff is an award-winning music journalist who not only covers music but has written books on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.