http://www.bnd.com/entertainment/story/115911.html
08-31-07
Puddle
of
Mudd
has
come
a
long
way
since
it
was
formed
in
1993
by
Wes
Scantlin
(vocals),
Kenny
Burkett
(drums),
Jimmy
Allen
(lead
guitar)
and
Sean
Samon
(bass
guitar).
The
name
was
inspired
by
the
Missouri
River
flood,
which
inundated
the
band's
practice
space,
and
left
the
floor
a
big
"puddle
of
mud."
The
river
may
have
subsided,
but
the
band
has
been
rising
ever
since.
They
will
appear
with
Nickelback
at
7
p.m.
tonight
at
Verizon
Wireless
Amphitheater
in
St.
Louis.
The
group's
first
album,
"Stuck,"
was
released
in
1994
on
V&R
Records.
The
seven-song
album
consising
entirely
of
original
compositions
did
well
in
Kansas
City,
but
never
made
it
much
further.
"That
was
a
great
experience
for
us,"
said
Scantlin
in
a
phone
interview
last
week.
"We
had
to
learn
to
promote
an
album
ourselves,
do
the
street
work,
everything.
That's
a
great
lesson
to
learn
in
this
business,
because
that's
what
it
takes
even
after
success."
Minus
Jimmy
Allen,
the
group
released
a
second
album,
"Abrasive,"
in
1997
on
Hardknocks
Records.
It
had
11
tracks,
all
written
by
the
band,
three
of
which
would
eventually
make
it
on
to
Puddle
of
Mudd's
first
major
label
release.
Between
the
two
albums,
Scantlin
had
been
giving
demo
tapes
to
everyone
he
thought
might
be
able
to
pull
him
into
the
music
business.
He
threw
tapes
on
stage
to
bands
at
the
concerts
he
went
to,
and
tried
to
sneak
backstage
to
hand
copies
to
bands.
For
one
of
these
bands,
Stone
Temple
Pilots,
Scantlin
had
to
get
down
on
his
hands
and
knees
and
crawl
through
about
400
yards
of
brush,
then
sneak
around
some
trees
to
get
to
the
band's
dressing
room,
only
to
find
himself
being
frisked
by
security
guards
for
having
a
fake
backstage
pass.
Luckily,
he
had
managed
to
throw
a
copy
of
his
tape
on
stage
to
Scott
Weiland
while
the
band
was
performing.
By
1998,
Scantlin
was
ready
to
give
up
on
music.
He
was
getting
ready
to
move
to
New
Orleans
to
manage
his
girlfriend's
career
when
one
of
his
friends
asked
if
he
wanted
to
go
to
the
Family
Values
concert
that
night.
After
hearing
the
band
lineup,
Wes
reluctantly
decided
to
go,
and
grabbed
the
last
copy
of
his
demo
tape
as
he
was
heading
out
the
door.
At
the
show,
some
of
his
other
friends
had
fake
backstage
passes.
He
took
one,
and
it
got
him
to
one
of
Fred
Durst's
security
guards.
He
persuaded
the
guard
to
give
Durst
his
demo
tape,
but
left
the
concert
thinking
that
he
had
failed
to
get
into
the
music
business.
But
the
guard
did
give
it
to
Durst,
who
listened
to
it
on
his
tour
bus.
He
listened
to
it
again,
then
decided
he
had
to
contact
Scantlin.
By
the
time
Durst
got
in
touch
with
Scantlin,
the
band
had
broken
up.
Durst
decided
to
fly
Scantlin
to
L.A.
for
a
showcase,
for
which
the
two
would
recruit
new
bandmates.
In
California,
they
picked
up
bassist
Doug
Ardito,
guitarist
Paul
Phillips
and
went
through
a
couple
of
drummers
before
signing
on
Greg
Upchurch.
Puddle
of
Mudd
released
its
major-label
debut
album,
"Come
Clean"
on
Aug.
28,
2001.
"Control,"
the
lead
single
from
the
album
was
successful
and
grabbed
the
attention
of
rock
music
audiences
worldwide.
It
was
also
the
theme
song
for
WWE's
Survivor
Series
2001.
The
second
single,
"She
Hates
Me,"
was
released
in
early
2002
and
became
a
hit,
reaching
the
No.
1
spot
on
the
Mainstream
Rock
Tracks
chart,
as
well
as
No.
13
on
the
Billboard
Hot
100.
"Drift
&
Die"
and
"Blurry"
also
scooted
up
the
charts.
The
group
then
embarked
on
a
European
tour
with
Godsmack
and
were
also
part
of
the
Family
Values
2001
tour,
alongside
the
Stone
Temple
Pilots,
Linkin
Park
and
Staind.
Copies
of
the
debut
album
were
selling
well.
It
was
certified
triple
platinum
in
the
United
States
by
the
Recording
Industry
Association
of
America
(RIAA)
on
Jan.
31,
2003,
and
as
of
late
2006
total
sales
worldwide
are
in
excess
of
5
million
copies.
Puddle
of
Mudd's
follow-up,
"Life
On
Display,"
spawned
two
hit
singles
"Away
From
Me"
and
"Heel
Over
Head."
The
album
sold
only
600,000
copies.
This
resulted
in
drummer
Greg
Upchurch
leaving
for
3
Doors
Down.
Guitarist,
Paul
Phillips
left
the
band
later
on
due
to
creative
differences
with
Scantlin.
Puddle
of
Mudd
is
currently
on
tour
with
Nickelback,
and
will
be
headlining
a
tour
this
fall.
Current
members
include
Scantlin,
Ardito,
Christian
Stone
on
lead
guitar
and
Ryan
Yerdon
on
drums.
"We'll
finish
up
a
few
dates
with
Nickelback
and
then
this
fall
we
are
going
to
go
out
on
a
headlining
tour
that
will
take
us
through
the
winter,"
said
Scantlin.
The
band's
latest
single,
"Famous,"
was
released
in
May
and
is
rising
up
the
charts.
"We
are
so
excited
to
have
this
song,
the
title
track
off
the
album
to
go
No.
1,"
said
Scantlin.
"We
want
to
thank
our
fans
for
sticking
by
us
since
it's
been
such
a
long
time
in
between
records."
On
July
19,
they
performed
"Famous"
and
another
new
song,
"Psycho"
on
the
"Tonight
Show."
The
band
recently
went
back
into
the
studio
to
record
new
tracks
for
the
album.
It
has
been
delayed
for
a
second
time
with
the
official
release
date
set
for
Oct.
9.
Scantlin
said
that
he
does
not
want
an
album
going
out
to
the
fans
because
it
is
scheduled.
"I
don't
want
to
put
a
project
out
there
just
because
the
record
company
or
somebody
else
wants
me
to,"
said
Scantlin.
"This
is
a
part
of
me
and
a
part
of
the
rest
of
the
guys.
We're
baring
our
personal
souls
out
there
for
everyone
to
see.
So
it
must
be
good,
as
truthful
as
possible
and
be
a
quality
project."
Scantlin
said
that
he
is,
of
course,
proud
of
all
of
his
work,
but
the
upcoming
release
of
"Famous"
is
special
to
him.
"I
just
want
to
thank
God
that
I'm
able
to
do
this
for
a
living,
and
that
people
are
able
to
relate
to
my
music.
A
lot
has
changed
since
the
last
album.
My
son
(Jordan)
is
10
years
old
now,
I'm
older
myself,
and
life
has
become
more
stable
for
us."
Scantlin
said
his
son,
who
still
lives
in
Kansas
City
with
his
mother,
will
be
at
the
show
tonight.
"He'll
be
there
with
a
truckload
of
a
lot
of
other
family,"
said
Scantlin.
"I
got
them
from
all
over
the
place
in
Missouri.
It's
gonna
be
a
blast
for
me
to
see
my
son,
who
I
haven't
seen
in
about
two
weeks.
He'll
be
on
the
stage
bringing
me
water
and
stuff.
He
likes
to
do
that."
"I
like
when
he
does
that,
too.
Who:
Puddle
of
Mudd
(opening
for
Nickelback);
Finger
Eleven
opens
show.
When:
7
p.m.
today;
doors
open
at
6.
Where:
Verizon
Wireless
Amphitheater,
Maryland
Heights,
Mo.