After Stone Temple Pilots fired vocalist Scott Weiland back in 2013, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park started singing for the band, even appearing on an EP that came out later that year. Bennington’s focus has always been Linkin Park, however, and the timing of the situation has run its course:
Said Bennington:
“The last few years have been an amazing experience. I got to create and perform with one of the greatest rock bands of our generation, that had so much influence on me growing up. With the amount of time STP deserves, in addition to being in LINKIN PARK, and with the needs of my family, one of them always seems to fall short.
Going in to this, the four of us… Robert [DeLeo, bass], Eric [Kretz, drums], Dean [DeLeo, guitar] and myself knew what we were up against. We decided in due fairness to friends, fans and the legacy of STP that it needs more than time was allowing me. And in all fairness to my bandmates in LINKIN PARK, as well as to myself and to my family, I’m going to focus solely on LINKIN PARK so I can contribute 100%.”
Bennington was in the studio with Stone Temple Pilots earlier this year, but even then bassist Robert DeLeo knew Bennington’s priority was Linkin Park:
“His main concern definitely is Linkin Park and, you know, when he’s busy with them, it offers Dean and Eric and myself some time to really get some new music together. And when he’s available, that’s when we work, man, and we make the best of that time.”
Stone Temple Pilots recently performed at the After Shock Festival in late October with Bennington. They’ll be playing Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight with vocalist Joss Stone as a “music mash-up” under the name Joss Stone Temple Pilots. As for a new Stone Temple Pilots singer? The’ve “had the fortune of playing with some very talented singers over the last few months,” they said “and will continue to do so until each of us feels and knows when the right person arrives.”
(via)
