Five years afterwards their awful acerbic split, Creed are reforming for a new anthology and an American tour, which bliss off August 6th in Pittsburgh and runs through October 14th. “I wouldn’t alarm it a reunion,” says accompanist Scott Stapp. “It’s a renewing and a rebirth. I absent my boys and capital to actualize music with them again. We’re all captivated to accept a additional adventitious to accomplish a aboriginal impression.”
The reconciliation began last December when Stapp reached out to Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti. They agreed to meet up at the Hard Rock Hotel in Florida before Stapp sang the “National Anthem” at the Champs Sports Bowl. “I was nervous, but also excited because I knew Mark would bring nothing but positivity,” says Stapp. “We exchanged family pictures and within 20 minutes we were jamming on acoustic guitars and talking about new songs.” They soon met up with drummer Scott Phillips and bassist Brian Marshall, who left Creed in 2000 but is returning for the new album and tour. “At that meeting we were collectively saying, ‘Hey man, I’m sorry if I hurt you or my choices did anything to cause you any pain. I have nothing but love and forgiveness for you and I hope you can forgive me. It’s all part of the process of reflection and not looking back at the six months out of 10 years that were trying.”
Stapp and Tremonti already have six demos for the new album, which they plan on recording shortly in Nashville. They are currently looking for a producer. “We’re reached out to Brendan O’Brien, Mutt Lange, Bob Rock, Steve Lillywhite and six or seven more,” says Stapp. “We want to put ourselves around the best and have them bring out the best in us and challenge us as artists.” The likely title track is “Full Circle.” “It’s a favorite for all of us,” says Stapp. “It really defines and articulates, melody-wise and lyrically, what’s happened with us. We’ve come full circle and it’s a great place to be. The goal is get release the first single before the tour and have the album come out during the tour or right after.”
What’s the status of Stapp’s long-in-the-works second solo disc? “I’m not really thinking about that right now,” he says. “It would be irresponsible for me to think about anything but Creed. This band is my first love and a first love that’s stood the test of time. It’s not hard to step away from any kind of personal agenda when you are totally fulfilled.”
Tour dates:
August 6 - Pittsburgh PA
August 8 - Darien Lakes NY
August 9 - Hershey PA
August 11 - Saratoga Springs NY
August 13 - Philadelphia PA
August 15 - Wantagh NY
August 16 - Holmdel NJ
August 18 - Boston MA
August 20 - Hartford, CT
August 21 - Washington DC
August 22 - Virginia Beach VA
August 25 - Detroit MI
August 26 - Cleveland OH
August 28 - Cincinnati OH
August 29 - Indianapolis IN
August 30 - Chicago IL
September 1 - Milwaukee
September 2 - Columbus OH
September 4 - Raleigh NC
September 5 - Charlotte NC
September 11 - Atlanta GA
September 12 - Birmingham AL
September 15 - Orlando FL
September 16 - West Palm Beach FL
September 18 - Lafayette LA
September 19 - New Orleans LA
September 20 - Bossier City LA
September 22 - Dallas TX
September 24 - San Antonio TX
September 25 - Houston TX
September 27 - Las Vegas NV
September 29 - Glendale AZ
September 30 - Irvine CA
October 2 - Salt Lake City UT
October 3 - Denver CO
October 6 - Minneapolis MN
October 7 - Omaha NE
October 9 - Tulsa OK
October 10 - Kansas City MO
October 13 - St Louis MO
October 14 - Nashville TN
