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05-27-04

Puddle of Mudd drummer glad he made move

By REBECCA COUDRET Courier & Press staff writer 464-7509 or coud@evansville.net
May 27, 2004

Puddle of Mudd drummer Greg Upchurch, a proud Oklahoman, calls living in Los Angeles "culture shock."

And he loves it.

"But not at first. It was so overwhelming, and there were several points where I wanted to leave. It was a good seven or eight months before I was able to stand it. But I guess it was giving L.A. a fair chance that made me realize it was a great place to be."

Tonight he'll be in Evansville as Puddle of Mudd opens for Kid Rock at Roberts Stadium.

A native of tiny Kingston, Okla., Upchurch didn't do what a lot of musicians do: He didn't head for the left coast with a band and hopes of stardom. He went solo, looking for a band that needed just the right drummer to move into the big time.

"Moving was something I felt like I had to do," Upchurch said. "I didn't want to go through the rest of my life saying, 'I wish I had given it a shot.' I was still comparatively young - so I did it. It wasn't like I'd have to quit a job I liked. A lot of people, including the guys I played with, won't make the move because they'd have to quit their day jobs. I never had a job I wanted to keep forever."

The mid-'90s, though, wasn't the best time to set out, Upchurch said. "When I moved out there, rock bands really weren't in existence. After Seattle's sound died, it was a hard time for rock music. There weren't many people willing to do it - to put their money into developing bands."

And so he worked at a music store until he was asked to join a band. That eventually led to Upchurch joining Puddle of Mudd, signing a record deal - and to getting a lot more than he ever dreamed.

"I don't think anybody expected that much. But our first album sold 5 million copies. That's still kind of shocking to us. It's kind of rare for that to happen - 5 million for a first album.

"We've tried to be realistic about it. We know that's abnormal, and we can't expect it to always happen. But it was great."

The quintuple-platinum members of Puddle of Mudd are Upchurch, Wes Scantlin, lead singer/guitar; Douglas Ardito, bass; and Paul Phillips, guitar. The guys aren't in "pick and choose" mode, selecting songs from other writers. "We write our own stuff - well, the other guys do, and I write my own drum parts. I hear what they've written and just know what, drumwise, will flow well rhythmically.

"It's so great to see people like our stuff. And it's fun to see the age range. We'll get people from 8 years old to 50- and 60- year-olds. ...

"I think what we have going for us with most people is that we're a rock 'n' roll band, and not a lot of people do that anymore. No rappers. No deejays. Just good, solid rock."

And if he could make a suggestion to fans attending the concert: "Get there early! We go on first, and unless something strange happens, we start on time."