Puddle Of Mudd is a band that has dominated radio airplay for several years. With songs like “Control,” “Blurry,” “Drift And Die” and one of the most covered songs that bar bands play… “She Hates Me”… they have proven themselves to the music industry, they definitely are not a “One Hit Wonder” many bands of today become. With a line up of Greg Upchurch (drums), Paul Phillips (guitar), Doug Ardito (bass) and Wes Scantlin (vocals) these four from Missouri play songs that need to be experienced live. Wes and Doug sat down with R.A.G. and talked, laughed and told stories about their lives after a set opening up for Kid Rock.
 

Rhythm, Art & Groove- How’s the tour going?

Wes Scantlin- Just killer man…we’re having a great time! It’s like the movie “Ground Hog Day”. I’m trying to figure out every way possible to make it interesting for myself. Like tonight…I was like “F**k it, I’m gonna run all the way to the top of the lawn and just hang out with all the people up there.” You try to make it interesting for yourself and the more interesting it is for you, the more interesting it is for the audience too.

RAG- Was that a spur of the moment idea to do that?

WS- We did an hour-long sound check with some really cool tribute stuff. I was kinda looking up at the green and I was watching the sun set on the grass and I was like “Man, I’m gonna run up there tonight.”

RAG- The fans really loved it.

WS- Yeah…they really got a kick out of it!

RAG- Who were some of the bands that you’ve toured with?

WS- We’ve toured with so many bands. We’ve toured with Staind, Linkin Park, Korn, Deftones, Godsmack. We’ve toured with a lot of bands. It’s really nice to tour with a lot of interesting and different artists ‘cause you can vibe off them and get a different feel and jam with them and they’ll jam with you. You can collaborate on shit.

RAG- What were some of the other bands that you’ve played in?

WS- I’ve never played in any other band but Puddle Of Mudd. It started in ’93.
Doug Ardito- I played in a band called “Cellophane” that was on Virgin Records in ’97-’98.

RAG- How did the band form?

WS- Oh man…it’s so mind boggling, the way it happened. It’s kinda gone from here (holding his hand out) then gone up, and then cut back down. It’s really a roller coaster ride. It all happened in Lake Waukomis, Missouri. It’s kinda confusing to tell it…I’m actually tired of telling the story really. I’m sick of explaining it actually. I feel bad for saying that…it’s just so much of a story.

RAG- How did you decide on your name?

WS- It originated from the Missouri River and there was a practice hall that the band that the band started at. We were right by the levee and it was all muddy because the river was flowing over alittle. We were going to practice and pulled through a bunch of muddy water. You’d get out with your “s**t shoes” or no shoes and just walk in and walk up to the second floor. It was all just a big “puddle of mud” It all began in a big s**t hole with river water. Catfish were dying everywhere. We ate some of those motherfuckers! (laughing) You gotta beat ‘em in the head with a hammer to kill them…it’s kind of gnarly. Then you have to skin it with pliers. (still laughing)

RAG- Who were your major influences?

WS- Pink Floyd…mega influence! Led Zepplin… AC/DC… Velvet Underground and Aerosmith. A lot of old school. The Doors…it’s endless. To name every band that’s been an influence Doug or I…you could sit here all day.

DA- Can you pick you favorite color? I can’t. They (influences) are like every color…equal.

RAG- Where in the U.S. is your largest fan base?

WS- I don’t know…where do you think? (looks at Doug)

DA- America! We’ve played in almost every state in America by now. We’re only 8 or 10 away from finishing the whole U.S. We’ve never been to Hawaii …but we’re looking to go.

RAG- Where at in Europe?

WS- We’ve been there many times. I recently talked to a girl from Ireland…another from Poland. I’ve talked to different people from different countries and they’re like “Man, you’re massive in Australia” We’ve never been to Australia!  We’re this huge band over there and never toured there.

RAG- What are you waiting on?

WS- I guess it’s a financial thing…you know.  Getting all your gear and your techs over there. It all comes down to an economical type of thing. We’ve just been chillin in America on this record. We really don’t want to leave the states ‘cause our families are here and everybody who’s close. They’re not gonna want to fly 15-20 hours. On our last record we were away from home so much…it was saddening most of the time to be away from your family and stuff.

RAG- That’s got to be hard.

WS- Yeah it is.

RAG- Do you guys prefer small clubs or large venues?

WS- It’s kind of a yin/yang sort of thing. We like to play big places, we like playin’ small places. They’re all cool as long as there are people there that like to listen to cool music.

RAG- The song “Blurry” from your “Come Clean” cd won the ASCAP award for “The Most Played Song Of The Year”

DA- That happened in 2002. We were the most spun song in America per ASCAP tracked in 2002. Then he (Wes) won “2003 Song Of The Year” for “She Hates Me.”

WS- The number one song most played for 2003. We got it both years!
RAG- What about 2004?

WS- 2004…Fuck 2004 man! Are we in the 50s or something? You can’t even fucking party anymore. I’m not diggin’ 2004, man. I’m not actually political, but I’m totally sick of the whole fucking thing. It’s like we’re in the 50s again. Girls got to wear skirts down past their knees. They’ve all got to dress all prim and proper…nice and neat. You can’t be a rock ‘n roller anymore. If you do one small, tiny, little thing it’s like “Ooohh, you’re the Devil,” even though you didn’t do anything wrong.

RAG- Then Janet Jackson comes along…

WS- Oh yeah…so what? So what a boob popped out. I thought her nipple ring was sweet. That’s the coolest nipple ring I’ve seen in my life.

RAG- And Justin Timberlake of all people…

DA- That was a bunch of bullshit! That was a publicity stunt.

WS- Isn’t it very strange how you don’t see much Justin or Janet anymore?

DA- Yeah…they cracked down on their ass didn’t they?

WS- Yeah…they said (whistling) “Bye, bye.”

DA- They’re on “Celebrities Uncensored” that’s about it. Nah…I’m just kidding. (smiling)

RAG- What effect do you feel channels like MTV and Fuse have had on your career?

DA- I think they’re both great! MTV started playing us when Fuse didn’t even exist at the time. Fuse plays more videos…they play videos all day long. MTV has been great as well.

WS- It’s kinda freaky how Fuse was total “Balls Out” rock…and now it’s like (whistles) “Booya, here comes the hip hop takin’ over.” There’s nothing wrong with hip hop…but it’s like they (hip hop) walk in and step on your head and go “Okay, it’s our channel now, and this is our channel, and this is our channel.” Shit… they need to have a channel, nothing but rock. You (hip hop) have like 7 channels now. Is that enough or do you have to control every station? Give the fuckin’ rock ‘n rollers a chance! I freaked out when I saw Jessica Simpson on Fuse. I was like “What happened?” Fuse is cool and MTV is great and they have treated us with nothing but kindness and everything but I tell you, something’s about to change very soon.

RAG- What kind of a change?

WS- The whole genre is going to switch. It’s almost time to when it’s going to go (whistles, spins finger) and we’re gonna have rock come back and be here for 4 or 5 years. Then they’re gonna get sick of it. It’s like a cycle.
RAG- Are you talking 80s hair bands?

WS- It’s almost like you get the “pop” then rock… hip hop’s massive so you can’t put that in there. There’s nothing wrong with it. People dancing and grooving and shaking their hips and everything…and that’s cool. But, it’s just a matter of time before they switch it. (genre) Somebody’s up there (looks up) going “I’m tired of this and I think we need some more rock”

RAG- Like a big remote control.

WS- Yeah…it’s like (whistles, pointing a remote laughing)

RAG- What was it like to work with Fred Durst?

WS- It was cool to work with Fred. We don’t hardly speak or see Fred very much anymore. He’s a great person…a pretty cool dude. The next time I’m able to say “hi,” I’ll be like “What’s up dude?”

RAG- How is your new cd “Life On Display” different than “Come Clean?”

WS- I think there’s a little more depth to it…as far as passion. The first cd is passionate, but we kinda just left out the quirky stuff on the new cd. There wasn’t a “She Hates Me.” Everybody was like “Are you gonna have another “She Hates Me?”
It’s like I can’t write another called “She Hates Me” but maybe “She Ran Over Me With A Tractor” or something. (laughing)
I don’t know…it’s a different cd. It’s different music. “Come Clean” that’s a great record and I love it to the end of the earth…but if you want to hear the new Puddle Of Mudd songs, you should get “Life On Display.” It’s like when I was listening to Pearl Jam. “10” was an amazing record but, a lot of records after “10”… I love those too! Any artist records, you can’t just live off one cd for the rest of your life. Those songs mean a lot to everybody, but it’s like “Do you want to hear something new?” This is the way I feel about it…go get the new cd and listen to the new material. Why listen to the same thing the rest of your life? You got this one, now get this. You’re an idiot if you don’t! It’s almost like being lost in a bad hair day or something. You got this one hairdo…now get this other hairdo.

RAG- What’s your opinion on file sharing/Napster?

WS- I recently got a computer for the first time in my life. I’ve never owned a computer. I got a “G4”…I still don’t know how to actually operate it. I got 2 “ipods” that I’ve never fired up. But, file-sharing…sharing is caring. Burning is fucking burning. Burning is killing artists.

DA- Everytime somebody picks up an Outkast album, it gets scanned twice! They’re smart mother fuckers! Independent stores actually scan it 3 times…food for thought.

RAG- Tell us alittle about the Miller/Rusty Wallace car for the “Tropicana 400”

WS- That’s bad ass! Have you seen it…fuckin’ super cool, right? Rusty Wallace is one of my favorite NASCAR drivers of all time and it’s amazing…we’re on his car. We are the car! It’s like Rusty and Mudd…rusty mud!  I hope he wins. That would be super badass…ya know? He’s goin down across the finish line and all of us are right there. I’m gonna pray to God…Rusty wins. I think we’re in 2 races too. They’re making some die cast model cars. I’m definitely gonna get some. Hopefully he’ll (Rusty) send me some.

RAG- What’s your plans for the future?

WS- Just to keep writing songs. I’ve been writing a lot of songs with different musicians. I’ve written a lot with Doug (Ardito) and everybody that’s willing to stay up late and tell their girlfriends “I’m not coming home for a while…sorry honey, gotta go to work and work is a late night job.” You can do what you want during the day but, when it hits midnight…time to go to work. Basically I don’t work at all until it comes to writing. I write anytime I feel zoned out of my mind. (laughing)

Rag- Is there anything that you want to say to your friends/fans?

WS- Yeah…I’m super happy with this life I’ve been given. I thank the “Man Upstairs” everyday for all this cool, amazing things that have happened in my life. It’s crazy…it’s like a dream. There are peaks and valleys; there are mountaintops…then you come down. It goes up and down. When you’re at the top…you’ve got to make sure that you were cool to everybody on the way up because when you’re comin’ down, you don’t want all these people giving you the finger because you’ve treated them like crap.

RAG- You pass the same people both ways…

WS- The same people on the way up…the same people on the way down. Those people will always be there if you treat them with respect. We have great fans and I’m really thankful. This doesn’t happen to everybody. I’m not going to fuck up…and go sing on “American Idol.” I can’t wait in line that long. 80,000 people, waiting in line to sing for a guy…that’s going to give them the middle finger… if you slightly suck. It’s like “Simon says you suck.”

RAG- What would you tell him, if he told you that?

WS- I wouldn’t be there! (laughing)

RAG- What if something was set up?

WS- I would be in a chair with an acoustic guitar and sing a song. If he didn’t like it, I would be like “Hey dude fine…listen to the next singer” I’d go write some more tunes…it’s a good time for livin’ man!