STONE TEMPLE PILOTS Frontman JEFF GUTT Is 'Very Proud Of And Humbled By' Opportunity To Sing SCOTT WEILAND Songs

In a new interview with Australia's Rockpit, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Jeff Gutt said that he is "humbled" to be singing songs first made famous by the band's original frontman Scott Weiland and that in later years had been interpreted by Weiland's replacement, LINKIN PARK's Chester Bennington.

"I looked up to those guys personally," Gutt said about STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' previous singers. "I never met Scott, but I love Scott — he was a big influence on me when I was learning how to sing and what it meant to be a frontman and his fearlessness and all those things that made him who he was. So I learned a lot from him and to be able to go up there and sing those songs and carry on his legacy like that is definitely something I'm very proud of and humbled by."

He continued: "I try not to think about it too much as a me-versus-them kind of thing; I just try and go out there, because I love those songs too like the fans do, so I just really want to go out there and represent it honorably."

Beating out 20,000 other hopefuls to become the new voice of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, Gutt won the title after a global search to find someone with whom the band could not only perform their hits, but collaborate on new material. As STP drummer Eric Kretz explained: "Jeff beat everybody out in every area, especially the [song]writing process; Jeff, just hands down, won that one." Less than a year after assuming the lead role within the band, Gutt and STP released "Stone Temple Pilots" (2018),the band's first record in eight years, on which Gutt co-wrote every track. Jeff's second release with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, the band's first all-acoustic album titled "Perdida", came out in February 2020.

Building upon 20 years as a songwriter and performer in bands including DRY CELL, DRAGONFLY, ACRYLIC, BAND WITH NO NAME and INNERFAITH, Gutt appeared as a contestant in Season Two of the American reality series "The X Factor" in 2012. He was invited back for Season Three and quickly became a fan favorite, finishing in second place and racking up more than 50 million views during his time on the show.

In addition to his current gig with STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, Gutt is a founding member of another alt-rock band RIVAL CITY. RIVAL CITY toured the globe, performing for mass audiences in the Middle East, Europe, India and the U.S.