Stone Temple Pilots rode many a chaotic wave with vocalist Scott Weiland throughout their initial existence and parted ways with the singer for the final time in the early part of 2013.
Bassist Robert DeLeo and guitarist Dean DeLeo had worked outside of the band’s normal setting a couple of times, first with 1997’s Talk Show, which featured the whole STP lineup minus Weiland, with vocalist Dave Coutts stepping in. During another period of inactivity for the group, the DeLeo brothers paired up with Filter’s Richard Patrick and drummer Ray Luzier to form Army of Anyone, releasing a single self-titled album in 2006.
When they found themselves again at loose ends in early 2013, things took an interesting path. “We were introduced to [vocalist] Pete [Shoulder] through Ross Halfin,” Dean DeLeo tells UCR. “He kept on us, while we were having our metamorphosis and that’s kind of how we met. Pete came over and we actually jumped in and made a record. Robert, [drummer] Brian Tichy, Pete and myself went and made a record, which we’re sitting on.”
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He says the album went on the shelf once they met and began collaborating with Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington. “We talked Chester into being in the band,” he shares. “Chester, Robert, Eric [Kretz] and I jumped [back] into the world of STP and started recording. We did the High Rise EP [which was released in October 2013] and that record [with Shoulder] was sadly put on a little bit of a hiatus.”
According to the guitarist, it’s possible that fans could hear it as soon as next year, but it won’t be released under the Stone Temple Pilots name, since Kretz is not part of the recordings — and also because of the current lineup with singer Jeff Gutt, which remains intact. “This is a totally different thing. STP is Eric, Robert, Jeff and myself,” he explains. “I would hope they wouldn’t have another guitar player come in for an STP record. We wouldn’t do that to any [of the other] members. STP is what it is, and these things that Robert and I are have been doing lately [are] just another avenue for us to just kind of go, ‘Let your freak flag fly!'”
Stone Temple Pilots Fans Will Dig Dean’s New Music
Though the initial collaboration with Shoulder remains presently unreleased, he’s continued to work with both Dean and Robert separately. The fruits of their efforts are starting to come to the surface. Dean and Pete unveiled One More Satellite, and will release a self-titled album under that name July 18. DeLeo had songs sitting around that he wanted to record, initially planning to track an instrumental album. He reached out to Shoulder about working on a song or two and the vocalist ended up singing on the bulk of the material.
The debut single, “Paper Over the Cracks,” was released in early May and in tone, will be familiar to STP fans. But listening to the rest of the album, what sticks out is the diversity and range of the material stylistically. It’s clear that Shoulder brings a wide palette to the project, when it comes to what he can contribute, something which DeLeo appreciates. It’s a trait that reminds him of his past work with Scott Weiland.
“I like visiting all facets of music. You know, it’s pretty evident, the broad spectrum of music Robert and I were raised on,” he says. “I think all that shows now later on in life with us and [what we’re] writing. That was the amazing thing about Scott. He was able to really [do a lot of different things vocally]. It’s almost as if a singer takes on a character for a song. One of my favorite STP songs is a song Robert and Scott wrote off of No. 4 called ‘I Got You.’ Scott’s approach to that song was so brilliant. So yeah, it’s a wonderful trait for a singer to take on this character that really suits the song.”
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“Paper Over the Cracks,” according to DeLeo, is a trailer of sorts when it comes to what fans can expect to hear on One More Satellite. “The record definitely explores a lot of different types of music. I mean, there’s two instrumentals on the record,” he shares. “It really explores a lot of different types of music and a lot of different moods. Both Pete and I felt ‘Paper Over the Cracks’ was a decent representation of what will unfold [with the rest of the album].”
Watch One More Satellite’s ‘Paper Over the Cracks’ Video
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