Former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland says his 2013 split with the band took place through “goggles of management” rather than because of any direct disagreement with his ex-colleagues.
The frontman’s second departure came about after the remaining members said they wanted to remove themselves from a “toxic environment.” That led to the arrival of Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington and a year-long legal battle, recently settled.
Weiland – who’s just release debut record Blaster with his band the Wildabouts – tells Jam: “It’s just a shame how it happened.
“I said I needed six months off. I felt we needed six months off in order to do a 20th anniversary tour. That tour didn’t end up happening, and I said, ‘We need to make a new record.
“‘We can’t go on playing the greatest hits set. It’s not going to work – we’re losing fanbase and our guarantees are starting to go down.’”
He says he felt the band had reached an agreement on that approach. “It turned out not so,” he continues. “They got different management and things just soured.
“Crazy things happen when you end up getting different management. A lot of times, how things are portrayed to the band members are through the goggles of management, and that’s what you end up hearing.”
But he tells LA Weekly: “I wish them well and I hope they do great. My focus is on the Wildabouts.”
Weiland is recovering from the sudden death of guitarist and friend Jeremy Brown, who passed away on Tuesday – the day of Blaster’s release.
