Puddle of Mudd frontman Wes Scantlin recently provided an candid perspective on the band’s history of lineup changes and his own well-documented personal challenges, during an interview on the July 15 episode of Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM.
Addressing the common perception that Puddle of Mudd is essentially a band in name only, with Scantlin being the sole consistent original member amidst frequent musician turnovers, the singer acknowledged the instability. Despite this, he expressed a hopeful outlook for the future, stating (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Right now everything’s solid, and I pray to God that no one leaves me again… Please, dear God above, do not let any of these people leave. It’s hard to make — the transitions are a pain in the butt.”
The current lineup of Puddle of Mudd features Michael Anthony Grajewski on bass, Jon Smith on drums, and Miles Schon on guitar, who is the son of Journey‘s Neal Schon. Scantlin conceded that despite the current positive chemistry, the challenge of member turnover has been a consistent aspect of the band’s journey for many years.
Scantlin delved into the band’s very beginnings, explaining that even when Limp Bizkit‘s Fred Durst signed him over two decades ago, the band was already in disarray. “The band was already dissolved at that point, and I was at the breaking point to where I was just gonna stop doing music anyway,” he recalled, crediting Durst with rescuing his musical career.
He described the process of rebuilding Puddle of Mudd from scratch as involving constant auditions and frequent personnel shifts, which he views as an inherent part of being in a band. He remarked: “People come and people go and there’s nothing you can do… They have their lives and jobs. It’s a weird situation to be in a rock band or any artistic situation.” Scantlin holds onto hope that the current lineup will endure: “Hopefully these guys, hopefully they won’t take off on me like a lot of other people have. So, we can keep this one intact for now and hopefully forever.”
Beyond the discussions of Puddle of Mudd‘s evolving lineup, Scantlin also spoke frankly about his publicized legal troubles, struggles with substance abuse, and his interactions with the media. He painted a picture of himself as a target for public scrutiny. “I really seriously don’t really do that much wrong things. I really just don’t,” Scantlin claimed. He humorously referred to himself as “a big fish in the little pond” and a “Christmas dinner trophy for the Poppo,” speculating on how often his arrests might be recounted during holiday gatherings.
Scantlin‘s recent past has indeed included various legal issues, such as arrests related to substance possession, resisting arrest, and domestic disputes, with the most recent occurring in March of this year. He has also previously alleged that he was “roofied” by a former bandmate before a particularly problematic show in Daytona.
