If you’re wondering if she still fucking hates Wes Scantlin, you probably won’t find the answer on Puddle of Mudd’s next album.
“There’s a little bit of everything on this album. There’s songs that touch you like ‘Blurry’ did, but there’s no more ‘She Hates Me’s, there’s no more of that comical side, I don’t think, is there?” guitarist Doug Ardito asked Scantlin at last week’s ASCAP Pop Music Awards.
“I’d have to write another song called, like, ‘She Kicked Me in the Balls’ or something like that,” the singer answered.
Assuming he doesn’t, Scantlin will finish his singing duties this week and turn in Life on Display for an early September release.
“There’s some heartfelt songs on there, and there’s some other songs on the record that are just super heavy,” Scantlin said. “The heavy side comes out of us and it’s kind of eclectic.”
The singer feels fans will be able to relate to his poignant lyrics in the new material as much as they did on Puddle of Mudd’s multiplatinum debut.
“It’s crazy because life still has its ups and downs, even when you’re doing good and everything and everything’s shining,” Scantlin said. “I’ve still got the same kind of problems that you deal with before all these great amazing things happened in our lives and you still have a lot of great things to write about: pain, painful situations, and I’m still battling, going through trying to go see my kid as much as I possibly can. But I don’t know, it just comes from the heart, man.”
Puddle of Mudd recorded 18 songs with producer John Kurzweg, who worked on the band’s debut as well as Creed’s three albums. “Already Gone” is the leading candidate for the first single, although the band is also fond of songs called “Spin You Around,” “Away From Me,” “Sittin’ at the Bottom,” “Mountain Song,” “Change” and “Think.”
“All the songs are amazing songs, so it’s really hard to narrow it down and just put 11, 12, 13 songs on a record, because you feel kind of bad for the other songs,” Scantlin said. “It’s a good problem to have.”
Puddle of Mudd will start promoting Life on Display with an August headlining tour. In the meantime, the Fred Durst protégés will join Blink-182, 311, Def Leppard, Sum 41, Saliva and Trapt at the Rolling Rock Town Fair July 26 near Pittsburgh.
