After more than a decade apart, Creed’s recent return to the spotlight has fans wondering, what comes next? According to frontman Scott Stapp, the answer might include new music, though the band isn’t rushing anything.
“We're talking about it,” Stapp told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio when asked about the possibility of a new Creed record (via Blabbermouth): “We're taking things slow. We're rebuilding, we're relearning about each other. We're reconnecting.”
Stapp compared the reunion to slipping into a familiar, well-worn glove, but one that's taken on new meaning: “I think this experience has been kind of like a – it's putting on an old glove, but we've all changed. We're all older, we have kids, we have different responsibilities and priorities in life. And we're all extremely focused.”
That sense of maturity, he believes, could bring something powerful to the table if they move forward with an album.
“I think that when that day comes when we decide to make a Creed record, I think it'll be probably, if not on par, better than anything we've ever done,” Stapp mused. “Just based upon the life experience that we have, everything we've done the last two years of playing together, I think that sets the stage that when it's the right time, it's gonna be incredible.”
Their comeback began in earnest last summer, with Creed launching the Summer Of '99 tour alongside acts like 3 Doors Down, Finger Eleven, Switchfoot, Fuel, Big Wreck, and Daughtry. The momentum carried into arenas across North America later that year on the Are You Ready? tour, which featured 3 Doors Down and Mammoth WVH in the U.S., and a Canadian leg with Mammoth WVH and Finger Eleven.
“Man, it's hard to put into words,” Stapp said of their return to arena stages. “Of course, the cliché word would be it's surreal. But, man, it was exciting. There was just so much energy and connection between the band guys. We were having a good time, and I hope the audience saw it.”
He described a heightened awareness on stage, born from knowing firsthand how quickly it can all disappear: “We're fired up up there. I mean, we're soaking it all in, we're all present, we're all in the moment. And we all know what it's like to have that and then not have that, so there's a new level of appreciation for those moments.”
That appreciation has reshaped how they perform.
“I think that that motivates us to play every show like it could be our last, because we've been in that situation where we had that last show, and then everything went away. So I think that gives us a new sense of urgency, energy, and passion for every show.”
“To hear the fans sing every song and the energy that's in the room, man, it's a dream come true, and we don't take a moment of it for granted,” he added.
The Summer Of '99 cruise in 2023 marked Creed’s first performance together in 11 years, and demand hasn’t let up. The band later followed up with the Summer Of '99 And Beyond cruise and a string of sold-out shows.
