Singer Scott Stapp checks in with Audacy host Jason Bailey with a brand new solo single, revealing there's plenty of exciting times on the horizon, including of course Creed's reunion cruise set for next spring.
LISTEN NOW: Audacy Check In with Scott Stapp of Creed
Scott joins us today buzzing with eagerness to share his powerful new solo single, "Higher Power," written and recorded over the course of the pandemic with an emphasis placed on -- as is par for the course with Stapp's music -- the lyrical content and overarching message.
"I'm very lyric-focused," Scott explains, "and it was definitely meant to be that way. You know, the song is actually -- in reality, the writing of it -- began during an experience I had in 2006. That's kind of the basis of where the lyrics were born." The actual track, he explains, was initiated by his good friend Scott Stevens, who has worked with Skillet, HALESTORM, and more over the years, as well as with Stapp. "He knew the story, I had shared it with him so much," Scott says. "He came to me and said, 'Hey man, I've got an idea. Come to the studio.' We wrapped it up together and it really, really conveyed the message that I'm trying to live today and am living today."
The fall Stapp suffered from the balcony of a Miami hotel room in 2006, described in full in his book Sinner's Creed, became a real "Come to Jesus" moment for him, although it has been a long process trying to "unlearn behavior" that has proven destructive. "It takes a daily commitment, and sometimes you're gonna stumble; sometimes you're gonna go years on the right path and then boom, you're gonna fall," Scott says. "But it's all about getting back up, using that as a lesson learned to help build your character strength so you can not only be a better human being but continue to move forward -- and with the platform I've been given, try my best to share those experiences and messages to help others who may be going through the same things."
Whether struggling with addiction, loss, or a myriad of other mental health issues, Scott has found relating to the human experience through song and sharing his own spiritual path has helped him continue to "point people to something greater than themselves -- a 'Higher Power' -- because that's what's gotten me through all of this, and of course the love and support of family and friends, because that's all part of it. But I think sharing that lets people feel like they're not alone out there."
Hearing feedback from fans over the years who have told him how his music has changed their lives has been reward enough. "It inspired me," he admits, "to make it 24 hours more, to make it one more week, to keep going, keep surviving, keep living. That's what I feel like I've been put here on this earth to do, and it's a difficult calling, so to speak. Unfortunately, I've had to learn a lot of life's lessons the hard way, and very much in the public eye. But I own that, and I don't live in that house anymore. I moved, so here we are today."
Full details surrounding a fourth solo studio offering from Stapp are still under wraps, but he assures fans there is "more to come, and an album to come. So just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride."
Related
After teasing that they would be taking fans "back to the summer of '99," rockers Creed have officially announced their return, setting sail with 3 Doors Down, Buckcherry, and more over four days in the spring of 2024. "That was something I think managers were talking about for a long time before the artists were approached," Scott admits. Eventually "everyone signed on," he says, thinking it would be a great way to "kick things off and see what happens. We don't have anything planned after that right now, it's baby steps. But relationships were positive, we support each other... so we'll see what happens from there."
Listen to the full interview with Creed's Scott Stapp above, and stay tuned for more conversations with your favorite artists right here on Audacy.
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