meta-scriptMeet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Black Pumas On Their Breakout Year, Creative Process And "New Chapter" | GRAMMY.com
Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Black Pumas On Their Breakout Year, Creative Process And "New Chapter"

Black Pumas

Photo: Lyza Renee

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Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Black Pumas On Their Breakout Year, Creative Process And "New Chapter"

After exploding into the global music scene in 2019, the Austin, Texas, rock and soul duo see their Best New Artist nomination as a "great beginning to a new chapter"

GRAMMYs/Jan 21, 2020 - 12:26 am

Black Pumas lay claim to perhaps the defining Cinderella story of the 2020 GRAMMY season. Officially formed in 2017 in Austin, Texas, the rock and soul duo experienced a breakout 2019: Dominating their local music scene, the group was recognized as one of the breakthrough artists at SXSW last year and took home the Best New Band trophy at the 2019 Austin Music Awards. 

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By the time they released their self-titled debut album—a psychedelic, genre-bending project that explores the many shades of soul, rock, funk and R&B, with dashes of Latin influences—last June on ATO Records, Black Pumas were an internationally touring act, with sold-out dates across North America and Europe throughout last year. 

Fast-forward to today, and Black Pumas are now nominated in the coveted Best New Artist category, alongside major pop stars like Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Lil Nas X and others. It's a surreal moment the band's frontman, Eric Burton, is still processing. 

"For me, it's really hard to conceptualize still. Still sinking in," he tells The Recording Academy a few hours before hitting the stage at The Town Hall in NYC last month. "I come from busking and skateboarding with a guitar in my hand and a tip jar… I don't think that I was really conceptualizing actually winning any accolades for just my own daily regimen." 

Black Pumas pairs Burton, a former street busker who charmed tourists and locals alike at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, with GRAMMY-winning guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada, who won a golden gramophone for his 2010 album, El Existential, as part of Latin funk band Grupo Fantasma. While the two come from musically diverse backgrounds—Burton grew up on East Coast hip-hop, old soul and folk music, while Quesada has worked with everyone from Prince to Daniel Johnston—their chemistry in the studio "fit like a glove."

"When I first reached out [to Eric]," Quesada says, "it started by him singing on some tracks that I had before we really brought in his songs and became Black Pumas… But I know [he] said that [he] had a hard time at first singing to somebody else's style and everything. But to me, sitting back and hearing it come into place, it all just kind of seemed to fit like a glove."

The Recording Academy caught up with Black Pumas to discuss their creative process, their breakthrough journey from local act to GRAMMY-nominated global headliners and their road ahead.

What does this nomination mean for you as a first-time nominee?

Eric: For me, it's really hard to conceptualize still. Still sinking in. I come from busking and skateboarding with a guitar in my hand and a tip jar, on my way to a restaurant in little Alamogordo, N.M. And doing gigs like that where I was just playing music to kind of whisk me away to a place where everyone wins and just playing to get through the day really and just having fun in it.

I don't think that I was really conceptualizing actually winning any accolades for just my own daily regimen. That it's happening now, it feels amazing. It feels really crazy. I don't know what's going... I don't know.

Adrian, you've been nominated before. You are now nominated in one of what's called the Big Four categories. Does this feel different from your previous nominations and wins?

Adrian: Absolutely does. It took a while for that to kind of sink in. Every time I start to think about that, I get a little anxiety, so I'm just trying to just enjoy it and take it in and just realize that people are reacting to this music that we were making integrity. We didn't sit down and say, "Man, we'll go for the GRAMMY." We were just like, "Man, that sounds cool. Let's make another one. Let's make a better one."

At one point, I remember we had sat down before we started touring and I just checked in and was like, "Do we want to pursue this?" He's like, "Yeah, I'm down if you're down." Because I said, "I think this could move quickly." But when I said that, I didn't even imagine that we would be nominated for a GRAMMY. It's crazy.

Read: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Nathalie Joachim On The Haitian Musical Roots Of 'Fanm d'Ayiti,' Community Building & Standing In Her Truth

Eric, it sounded like you were hesitant to connect with Adrian in the beginning of the project. What do you think about that now?

Eric: As a busking artist… you kind of are vulnerable to any and all musicians. Engineers, producers who hear something in the guitar playing or your vocals that they want to use it and they want to maybe help me elevate that. I was meeting a lot of people, and it just wasn't working out to the degree that I wasn't very happy with some of the end product.

Right before I met Adrian, I was building my own home studio and learning how to use Logic to try to explore my sounds that inspired me from the perspective of someone who is a teaming engineer, or trying to understand how to do it in the first place. So when Adrian hit me up, I'm like, "Oh no, not again!" [Laughs.]

But to be real, I'm a realist as well, and realistically, I didn't know enough to get the quality sounds on my own. When I read a little bit about Adrian's track record, it convinced me well enough to take a chance and really commit to elevating his project. At first, it started off as his thing, and I was just hoping that maybe we would get some funds or something from just having a catalog of music publishing.

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What's fascinating about the story of Black Pumas is how fast it all happened. You formed in 2017, you had a breakout year in 2019, from winning the Best New Band at the Austin Music Awards to now being nominated as Best New Artist at the GRAMMYs. Does this GRAMMY nomination now feel like the cherry on top of a whirlwind year? Does it feel like a validation?

Adrian: It's certainly not the only thing that would validate what we do, but it's definitely one of the factors. I think considering that we didn't really go out there and campaign. Honestly, this came about in a completely 100 percent organic way that surprised everybody on our team [and] us. Which meant that there were truly people out there that in the back of their mind, they were like, "We need to nominate Black Pumas and put them out there."

It feels honest and it feels good because it doesn't feel like we tried to cheat the system or anything. There was legit just people out there that believed in what were doing. And if we weren't getting the GRAMMY nomination, we'd still be playing shows. And if we weren't playing shows, we'd be still recording in the studio. We'd be doing this no matter what, but it's pretty amazing

Eric: So it feels more like a great beginning to a new chapter as opposed to an ending of anything. I think that we both really have our minds set on creating the next thing, trying to just strive to make the better song and entertain ourselves, really.

With Black Pumas exploding so fast, what sorts of challenges, if any, have you faced, either individually or as a group, with such a rapid career?

Adrian: The biggest challenge for both of us is that we have been touring so much that we haven't really had a chance to work on new music. We have a million ideas. He's always writing and recording wherever we can, on his phone or whatever. It's been hard to actually work on your music.

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Eric, this is your first time in the spotlight at this kind of level. Have you had any challenges facing this level of fame or acclaim?

Eric: For sure, because I believe that it's been a little bit hard to truly conceptualize, even through my own actions as an individual on this train that is going somewhere really bright, as it seems. When you're busking every day and you're doing things on a lower level, you start to do things more for yourself — the immediacy of reciprocating what you need to express, to get through someone cutting you off in traffic or a breakup or whatever it is. 

I've always used music to process my own emotions that, with everything that is going on right now, it feels a little overwhelming because there's a lot more feelings now a nd there's a lot more things happening. I'm starting to be held to a more higher standard of professionalism, can't stay up to 4 and 5 in the morning trying to write material and whatnot. That's been a little bit hard for me, just acclimating to the movement that is the Black Pumas.

You got a job now.

Eric: Yeah! I got a job now, mom. Look at me now, dad!

Read: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: FINNEAS On Billie Eilish & "Doing Production That No One's Ever Done Before"

Your 2019 debut album touches on so many eras and genres and sounds. Eric, you listen to East Coast hip-hop, old soul music and folk. Adrian, you've worked with everyone from Prince to Daniel Johnston. How does that all come together to create Black Pumas? Were there any hurdles to face when creating your initial sound and music?

Adrian: When I first reached out [to Eric], it started by him singing on some tracks that I had before we really brought in his songs and became Black Pumas. That was how the collaboration started. But I know [he] said that [he] had a hard time at first singing to somebody else's style and everything. But to me, sitting back and hearing it come into place, it all just kind of seemed to fit like a glove.

But then when we started to work on his songs… I felt like those fit perfectly with the sound of the ones that I was doing. It all just seemed to work.

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Could you talk about the creative process behind Black Pumas? How did you work together to create the songs and the album’s overall sonic aesthetic?

Adrian: The process was a combination of two methods: One was Eric writing lyrics and melodies and singing on a few instrumentals I had recorded, and the second was Eric’s songs that we learned and arranged in the studio and recorded predominantly live. The aesthetic, to me, was set up on the first day we got together and recorded "Fire" and "Black Moon Rising." What Eric came up with on "Black Moon Rising," in particular, for me was what set the tone for the album. 

Your album features elements from a lot of different genres and sounds considered to be cornerstones of American culture and music, from rock and soul to hip-hop and funk. You both also come from different cultural backgrounds, each with your own experience of what it means to be American. In what ways does your album represent what the American music canon means or sounds like today and what it will mean or sound like in the future? 

Adrian: To me, it represents the best part of American music in that it transcends genres, cultures and "scenes" to make sincere and soulful American music. Ideally, we would have fewer boundaries and more bridges in the future. 

While your music and your album are rooted in various American styles and sounds, they are also resonating with audiences across the world, from Montreal to Paris to Zurich. What is it about your music and your album that’s able to transcend cultures and languages? 

Adrian: Eric’s lyrics and the emotion in his voice and songs, in particular, [are some] of the main reasons I believe our album has transcended language and cultural barriers. People connect in a special way and sometimes adapt their own personal meaning to the songs. 

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You're also widely known for your live shows and energetic performances, which are key elements to the overall Black Pumas makeup. In what ways have your live shows informed or impacted your actual music and creativity, or vice versa?

Adrian: For at least half of the songs on the album, we had never played a show or even performed those songs at any point. When we began to perform live in conjunction with bringing in songs Eric had written was when it all came to life and one informed the other. About half the album was pre-produced and recorded, and the other [half was] cut almost entirely live, and I like the way it flows like that. At this point, the songs have taken on a new life in the live show, and I really like how the live versions of the songs are almost a different thing entirely. 

What are some sounds or genres that you'd like to explore together as a unit? What are you most curious to explore next?

Eric: I feel like the sky is the limit because we're not necessarily a retro-soul band. We emulate some of the colors of some of our heroes and songwriters, such as Otis Redding, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Ghostface Killah. But I think that we're just such eclectic music fans, that just comes through. It doesn't sound so contrived… to the degree that I feel that we have this stage that is soul music. 

There's different spaces within the same room that is soul music that we can take different genres of sound to kind of see what marriage works within the soul genre. We talk about different references all the time. We're always exploring different ways to make fresh this soul music, so to speak.

What are you looking forward to the most at the GRAMMYs?

Adrian: I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to the most, honestly, because I just don't know enough about what's happening. Our category's awesome, man. My kids and I listen to Billie Eilish and Lizzo. Yola is great. I checked out Rosalía, I checked out a few of the artists. They're all great, man. It's a great category, and I say that with 100 percent sincerity. It's exciting.

Where do you go from here? What happens next for Black Pumas in 2020?

Eric: Feels like we're probably going to be on tour indefinitely. I think that just trying to do our best with having the foresight that we need as individuals, who have a home of our own, to make sure that the people that we love who are supporting us feel that they haven't been forgotten. And individually, I hope I can find some good advice on what to do with the money that may be coming in soon. I won't tell you what I spent money on. [Laughs.]

I assume you're making more than you were busking.

Eric: Most definitely, man. I'm just trying to get it together, actually living a normalized life. I'm not just this Bohemian Troubadour busking, or just a musician anymore. It feels like a whole different level for me, for sure. Luckily, I have someone that has been doing it and is a perfect role model for it.

Adrian, what do your kids think about you going up against Lil Nas X and Lizzo?

Adrian: I think they're secretly going for Billie Eilish. They jam to Lizzo, too, and Lil Nas X, man. It's pretty cool because I jam to their stuff, too.

Don't forget to tune in to the 62nd GRAMMY Awards Sunday, Jan. 26, live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS, and the Premiere Ceremony and Red Carpet live streams right here on GRAMMY.com—your home for all things GRAMMYs.

2020 GRAMMY Awards: Complete Nominees List

Gary Clark, Jr. On 'JPEG RAW': How A Lockdown Jam Session, Bagpipes & Musical Manipulation Led To His Most Eclectic Album Yet
Gary Clark, Jr.

Photo: Mike Miller

interview

Gary Clark, Jr. On 'JPEG RAW': How A Lockdown Jam Session, Bagpipes & Musical Manipulation Led To His Most Eclectic Album Yet

Gary Clark, Jr.'s latest record, 'JPEG RAW,' is an evolution in the GRAMMY-winning singer and guitarist's already eclectic sound. Clark shares the process behind his new record, which features everything from African chants to a duet with Stevie Wonder.

GRAMMYs/Mar 18, 2024 - 01:10 pm

Stevie Wonder once said "you can’t base your life on people’s expectations." It’s something guitarist and singer Gary Clark, Jr. has taken to heart as he’s built his own career. 

"You’ve got to find your own thing," Clark tells GRAMMY.com.

Clark recently duetted with Wonder on "What About The Children," a song on his forthcoming album. Out March 22, JPEG RAW sees Clark continue to evolve with a mixtape-like kaleidoscope of sounds.

Over the years, Clark has ventured into rock, R&B, hip-hop blues, soul, and country. JPEG RAW is the next step in Clark's eclectic sound and sensibility, the result of a free-flowing jam session held during COVID-19 lockdown. Clark and his bandmates found freedom in not having a set path, adding elements of traditional African music and chants, electronic music, and jazz into the milieu.

"We just kind of took it upon ourselves to find our own way and inspire ourselves," says Clark, a four-time GRAMMY winner. "And that was just putting our heads together and making music that we collectively felt was good and we liked, music we wanted to listen to again."

The creation process was simultaneously freeing and scary.

"It was a little of the unknown and then a sense of hope, but also after there was acceptance and then it was freeing. I was like, all right, well, I guess we’re just doing this," Clark recalls. "It was an emotional, mental rollercoaster at that time, but it was great to have these guys to navigate through it and create something in the midst of it."

JPEG RAW is also deeply personal, with lyrics reflecting on the future for Clark himself, his family, and others around the globe. While Clark has long reflected on political and social uncertainties, his new release widens the lens. Songs like "Habits" examine a universal humanity in his desire to avoid bad habits, while "Maktub" details life's common struggles and hopes. 

Clark and his band were aided in their pursuit by longtime collaborator and co-producer Jacob Sciba and a wide array of collaborators. Clark’s prolific streak of collaborations continued, with the album also featuring funk master George Clinton, electronic R&B/alt-pop artist Naala, session trumpeter Keyon Harrold, and Clark’s sisters Shanan, Shawn, and Savannah. He also sampled songs by Thelonious Monk and Sonny Boy Williamson.

Clark has also remained busy as an actor (he played American blues legend Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis) and as a music ambassador (he was the Music Director for the 23rd Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor).

GRAMMY.com recently caught up with Clark, who will kick off his U.S. tour May 8, about his inspirations for JPEG RAW, collaborating with legendary musicians, and how creating music for a film helped give him a boost of confidence in the studio. 

This interview has been edited for clarity.

You incorporated traditional African music on JPEG RAW. How did it affect your songwriting process?

Well, I think traveling is how it affected my songwriting process. I was over in London, and we played a show with Songhoy Blues, and I was immediately influenced. I was like, "dang, these are my musical brothers from all the way across the world." 

I always kind of listened to West African funk and all that kind of stuff. So, I was just listening to that in the studio, and just kind of started messing around with the thing. And that just kind of evolved from there. I was later told by Jacob Sciba that he was playing that music trying to brainwash me into leaning more in that direction. I thought we were just genuinely having a good time exploring music together, and he was trying to manipulate me. [Laughs.]

I quit caring about what people thought about me wanting to be a certain thing. I think that being compared to Jimi Hendrix is a blessing and a curse for me because I'm not that. I will never be that. I never wanted to imitate or copy that, no disrespect. 

You’ve got to find your own thing. And my own thing is incorporating all the styles of music that I love, that I grew up on, and [was] influenced by as a pre-teen/teenager. To stay in one space and just be content doing that has never been my personality ever…I do what I like.

I read that you play trumpet at home and also have a set of bagpipes, just in case the mood strikes. 

I used to go collect instruments and old cameras from thrift stores and vintage shops and flea markets. So, I saw some bagpipes and I just picked them up. I've got a couple of violins. I don't play well at all — if you could consider that even playing. I've got trumpet, saxophone, flutes, all kinds of stuff just in case I can use these instruments in a way that'll make me think differently about music. It'll inspire me to go in a different direction that I've maybe never explored before, or I can translate some of that into playing guitar. 

One of my favorite guitarists, Albert Collins, was really inspired by horn players. So, if you can understand that and apply that to your number one instrument, maybe it could affect you. 

Given recent discussions about advancements in AI and our general inundation with technology, the title of your album is very relevant. What about people seeing life through that filter concerns you? Why does the descriptor seem apt?

During the pandemic, since I wasn't out in the world, I was on my phone and the information I was getting was through whatever social media platforms and what was going on in certain news outlets, all the news outlets. I'm just paying attention and I'm just like, man, there's devastation

I realized that I don't have to let it affect me. Just because things are accessible doesn't mean that you need to [access them].  It just made me think that I needed to do less of this and more of being appreciative of my world that's right in front of me, because right now it is really beautiful.

You’ve said the album plays out like a film, with a wide range of emotions throughout. What was it like seeing the album have that film-like quality?

I had conversations with the band, and I'd expressed to them that I want to be able to see it. I want to be able to see it on film, not just hear it. Keyboardist Jon Deas is great with [creating a] sonic palate and serving a mood along with [Eric] "King" Zapata who plays [rhythm] guitar. What he does with the guitar, it serves up a mood to you. You automatically see a color, you see a set design or something, and I just said, "Let's explore that. Let's make these things as dense as possible. Let's go like Hans Zimmer meets John Lee Hooker. Let's just make big songs that kind of tell some sort of a story." 

Also, we were stuck to our own devices, so we had to use our imagination. There was time, there was no schedule. So, we were free, open space, blank canvas.

The album opens with "Maktub," which is the Arabic word for fate or destiny. How has looking at different traditions given you added clarity with looking at what's happening here in the U.S.?

I was sitting in the studio with Jacob Sciba and my friend Sama'an Ashrawi and we were talking about the history of the blues. And then we started talking about the real history of the blues, not just in its American form, in an evolution back to Africa. You listen to a song like "Maktub," and then you listen to a song like, "Baby What You Want Me to Do" by Jimmy Reed…. 

The last record was This Land, but what about the whole world? What about not just focusing on this, but what else is going on out there? And we drew from these influences. We talked about family, we talked about culture, we talked about tradition, we talked about everything. And it's like, let's make it inclusive, build the people up. Let's build ourselves up. It’s not just about your small world, it’s about everybody’s feelings. Sometimes they're dealt with injustice and devastation everywhere, but there's also this global sense of hope. So, I just wanted to have a song that had the sentiment of that.

I really enjoyed the song’s hopeful message of trying to move forward.

Obviously, things are a little bit funky around here, and I don't have any answers. But maybe if we got our heads together and brainstorm, we could all figure something out instead of … struggling or suffering in silence. It's like, let's find some light here. 

But part of the talks that I had with Sama'an and his parents over a [video] call was music. He’s from Palestine, and growing up music was a way to connect. Music was a way to find happiness in a place where that wasn't an everyday convenience, and that was really powerful. That music is what brought folks together and brought joy and built a community and a common way of thinking globally. They were listening to music from all over the world, American music, rock music, and that was an influence.

The final song on the album, "Habits," sounds like it was the most challenging song to put together. What did you learn from putting that song together?

Well, that song originally was a bunch of different pieces, and I thought that they were different songs, and I was singing the different parts to them, and then I decided to put them all together. I think I was afraid to put them all together because we were like, "let's not do these long self-indulgent pieces of music. Let's keep it cool." But once I put these parts together and put these lyrics together, it just kind of made sense. 

I got emotional when I was singing it, and I was like, This is part of using this as an outlet for the things that are going on in life. We went and recorded it in Nashville with Mike Elizondo and his amazing crew, and it's like, yep, we're doing it all nine minutes of it.

You collaborated with a bunch of musicians on this album, including Naala on "This Is Who We Are." What was that experience like?

Working with Naala was great. That song was following me around for a couple of years, and I knew what I wanted it to sound like, but I didn't know how I was going to sing it. I had already laid the musical bed, and I think it was one of the last songs that we recorded vocals on for the album. 

Lyrically, it’s like a knight in shining armor or a samurai, and there's fire and there's war, and this guy's got to go find something. It was like this medieval fairytale type thing that I had in my head. Naala really helped lyrically guide me in a way that told that story, but was a little more personal and a little more vulnerable. I was about to give up on that song until she showed up in the studio. 

"What About the Children" is based on a demo that you got from Stevie Wonder. You got to duet with him, what was that collaboration like?

Oh, it was great. It was a life-changing experience. The guy's the greatest in everything, he was sweet, the most talented, hardworking, gracious, humble, but strong human being I've been in a room with and been able to create with. 

I was in shock when I left the studio at how powerful that was and how game changing and eye-opening it was. It was educational and inspiring. It was like before Stevie and after Stevie.

I imagine it was also extra special getting to have your sisters on the album.

Absolutely. We got to sing with Stevie Wonder; we used to grow up listening to George Clinton. They've stuck with us throughout my whole life. So, to be able to work with him and George Clinton — they came in wanting to do the work, hardworking, badass, nice, funny — it was a dream. 

Stevie Wonder and George Clinton are just different. They're pioneers and risk takers. For a young Black kid from Texas to see that and then later to be able to be in a room with that and get direct education and conversation…. It's an experience that not everybody gets to experience, and I'm grateful that I did, and hopefully we can do it again.

In 2022, you acted in Elvis. What are the biggest things you've learned from expanding into new creative areas?

I really have to give it up to a guy named Jeremy Grody…I went to his studio with these terrible demos that I had done on Pro Tools…and this guy helped save them and recreate them. I realized the importance of quality recordings. Jeremy Grody was my introduction to the game and really set me up to have the confidence to be able to step in rooms like that again.

I played some songs in the film, and I really understood how long a film day was. It takes all day long, a lot of takes, a lot of lights, a lot of big crews, big production.

I got to meet Lou Reed [while screening the film] at the San Sebastian Film Festival, and I was super nervous in interviews. I was giving away the whole movie. And Lou Reed said, "Just relax and have fun with all this s—." I really appreciated that.

Do you have a dream role?

I don't have a dream role, but I do know that if I was to get into acting, I’d really dive into it. I would want to do things that are challenging. I like taking risks. I want to push it to the limit. I would really like to understand what it's like to immerse yourself in the character and in the script and do it for real.

You're about to go out on tour. How will the show and production on this tour compare with the past ones?

We're building it currently, but I'm excited about what we got in store as far as the band goes. There are a few additions. I've got my sisters coming out with me. It's just going to be a big show.There's a new energy here, and I'm excited to share that with folks. 

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Creed's Scott Stapp On New Solo Album 'Higher Power,' Sobriety & Being "A Child With No Filter"
Scott Stapp

Photo: Matt Akana

interview

Creed's Scott Stapp On New Solo Album 'Higher Power,' Sobriety & Being "A Child With No Filter"

In an in-depth interview, Creed's Scott Stapp discusses being a survivor, recommitting to God, and his bludgeoning, cathartic new solo album, 'Higher Power.'

GRAMMYs/Mar 15, 2024 - 08:08 pm

Scott Stapp prefers Zoom with the camera off, but for a minute, he flips it on to say hello. The Creed frontman reveals himself to be alone on his tour bus, in near complete darkness, encased in a black hoodie.

"You look like a Jedi," his rep quips in an adjacent Zoom window. "They're training me," Stapp quips back.

Twenty-five years ago, this might be a breeding ground for his inner hellhounds, his unprocessed torments — as he sang, his own prison. But a sweatpants-clad Stapp looks relaxed, grounded, rooted; after this interview, he's eyeing a nap in the belly of this beast.

Stapp is a vocal proponent of recovery culture, and his language is permeated with it — God, squaring up with your ego, taking it one day at a time. "Some of us, we're so allergic to alcohol, so allergic to drugs," Stapp explains, "that when we use them, we break out in handcuffs and end up on the six o'clock news. And that's been my story, no doubt."

You can Google these stories; they're out there. While he's in no mood to recapitulate details to the press — who would be? — his new solo album, Higher Power, out March 15, directly addresses everything he's been through.

The title track begins with the line, "Forty feet down falling/ Headfirst off the edge" — and, well, that happened. (The rapper T.I. saved him, not knowing who he was at the time; Stapp later called him his "guardian angel.") By the chorus, Stapp frames what followed as a resurrection: "The day that I died was the day I came back to life."

At the zenith of Creed's career, Stapp pleaded "Can you take me higher?"; on Higher Power, this request seems to have been greenlighted. Which doesn't mean he has a messianic complex; Stapp doesn't project a shred of solipsism. He's just doing what he's meant to do.

"I don't pay attention to what's going on or try to follow trends, try to write to ride a wave or to catch something that's hot in the moment," he says.

What can he say? He's just Stapp — the same he's ever been, with a new album, a reunited Creed (who are about to head on tour) and a new lease on life.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

The song "Black Butterfly" is a great reminder that recovery isn't a one-and-done thing. It's a continuum, with peaks and valleys. Can you talk about that?

Well, it's absolutely a continuum and I think it not only applies to sobriety, but I think it applies to growth as a human being in general in every aspect of your life.

Just as we try to evolve…it is always five steps forward, three steps back. As long as you're continuing to move forward and learning from every setback, that's where true growth happens.

"Black Butterfly" represents so much, and I don't really want to get into the details of every aspect of what that song meant to me. Clearly, it involves a rebirth, but there's many contextual layers on that song in terms of the depths of the rebirth and what rebirths I'm talking about. But if we want to apply that to sobriety, there's definitely a continual process of cocooning and rebirthing.

Relapse has been a part of my story. It's not a part of everybody's, but it's been a part of mine. And each time that I have, I've definitely learned where a chink in my armor was that I was unaware of.

I also learned that I can't ever get overconfident. I can't ever think I've got it. I have to always stay on guard and continue to take it one day at a time and be vigilant. And then as time goes on, you get into a place where it becomes a lifestyle and a routine.

I'm glad you're on the good foot.

I just continue to grow, man, and take it one day at a time and know that God is doing a work in me in such a profound way, not only through my sobriety, but through my spiritual life.

One thing that you learn in recovery is the key to sobriety is the condition of you as a spiritual being. And for me to finally make that connection and tie it back to the roots of my faith  — that really kind of put a bow and an icing on top of the cake, because everything started making sense.

I've always been interested in spirituality, but we live in a relentlessly anti-spirit world. How do you keep that antenna up when we're all deluged by the "make money and shut up" attitude?

It's a daily commitment to wake up and get into prayer — from my perspective as a Christian, getting in the word of God. Reading, surrounding myself with other like-minded people who do the same thing, as we edify and help each other grow in the spiritual walk that we have together.

When you embrace it and you make it a part of your lifestyle, surround yourself with people who have the same passion, drive, and heart in seeking that, then it creates the perfect storm for spiritual growth. And I'm fortunate to have that around me right now.

Scott Stapp 2004

*Scott Stapp performing with Creed in 2003. Photo: Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR*

When Creed were on top of the world in the early 2000s, I'm sure your Christian ethics were completely at odds with everything going on around you.

Oh, 100 percent. And I also had this inflated, youthful ego; I thought I could handle it on my own, and didn't have any support around me. And you live and learn.

I help younger artists now who are going through similar situations and entering this business and let them know how important it is to surround yourself with support. And for those that don't have family, like I didn't, we really create a team.

Because this is a gift that we have — this career in music — and we can become so easily dismantled and it can be robbed from us by the trappings that come along from success and the temptations of the world. We're blessed with this opportunity to be creatives for a living. And so to nurture that, cherish it, protect it, look at it with professionalism and gratitude.

For those that don't have an issue with having a few drinks every now and then, do it on your off days. But when it's showtime and when it's a workday, look at it that way — with a vigor and passion of someone who's trying to be the best at what they do with their craft in their job.

That way, you can preserve it and it can be long-lasting, and you won't shoot yourself in the foot with self-sabotage.

Higher Power is such a production bulldozer. Can you talk about crafting the sound of it?

I was just creating those songs with my guys that I write with, in real time, as I was feeling inspired. I was trying to stay true to what I do, how I feel, and just continue to try to lyrically and sonically create cinematic pieces of art.

Fortunately, by the way that it was created, there was a theme and each song kind of bled into the other and were held together by a singular thread — which was the impact that God, my higher power has had in my life throughout the ups and the downs and was always there even at my darkest times.

And I think I addressed that in Higher Power. It's resounding with them in its sonic presentation and lyrical narrative.

You said you're looking to "create cinematic pieces of art." What role does the cinema play in your life? Do you think of great rock songs as being akin to mind movies?

No, I think I refer to that more in terms of how I'm creating the picture, not necessarily any reference points on any films. I'm trying to create something cinematic. I'm trying to create something that when it's heard, well, hopefully when someone connects, paint a picture in their mind of an experience and not only just connect with them on a personal level.

I think that's something I've always tried to do lyrically since I started writing songs. Since my first professional record in 1997, with My Own Prison, I think it's just been a part of the way that I create. And I think I really wanted to intentionally focus on that, in terms of the production and the music beds that went around the themes that I was talking about.

And I definitely think we did. I think my producers, Marti Frederiksen and Scott Stevens, captured that. I'm proud of what we did, and I feel that this is my best solo work to date.

And I've got a song I'm very proud of. It's a duet that I did with the Rock Queen herself, Dorothy, which will be out this Friday. And I'm very excited to share that song and everything that's coming with it because I think it's just a centerpiece of this record and a theme that really is what this album is: the walls talking.

The first line of "Higher Power" reflects a very traumatic event in your life; I don't need to recite it back to you. You're a very candid and honest cat.

I mean, if you go back to 1997 and you listen to "My Own Prison," that's probably one of the most personal and confessional songs I've ever written. That's the only way that I know how to write. That's the only way that the inspiration, the creativity comes out of me.

I bear my soul. I talk about my flaws, my weaknesses, my failures, the dark times. I just speak what's in my heart. I mean, I think that's probably a part of being a child with no filter. And that's kind of translated into how I write lyrics. I just say how it is and how I see it, how I'm observing it, how I'm experiencing it.

And call it what you will, but I call it my style. However you want to interpret that is cool. And I appreciate that you hear the vulnerability and the honesty in that because that's where it comes from.

I remember the early 2000s as a highly macho world — of raunchy comedies, shock jocks, getting called the f-slur on the playground. In the hard rock world of that time, I'm sure vulnerability was steamrolled over.

Well, I know that we came out with a song called "One Last Breath" in 2002, which was clearly a cry for help and vulnerability. So, I don't think I was paying too much attention to what was going on around me and what other people were doing. I never really have, I just do what I do.

And so it was kind of the antithesis of what you just described. You're talking about this macho era, and I'm writing lyrics, "Please come now, I think I'm falling/ I'm holding onto all I think is safe/ I think I found the road to nowhere, and I'm trying to escape."

I don't pay attention to what's going on or try to follow trends, try to write to ride a wave or to catch something that's hot in the moment. I really don't pay attention to the outside world.

That seems to be a throughline of your career.

To be honest with you, I'm a bit of a recluse. And when I was younger, I kind of romanticized that loner poet sitting under a tree, writing lyrics in a book, observing the world around him.

And I guess, looking back, that wasn't so much of a romantic approach, but more of just who I was and me trying to come to grips with it and accepting that that's who I am and being comfortable with it.

I think sobriety and clarity has helped me become comfortable with it — because I think that part of the reason I overindulged at times is because I never really felt comfortable around crowds. I never really felt comfortable around groups of people and socializing and mindless conversation and chit-chat. I think that's fine and that's great for other people, but it never really worked for me.

So, it's nice to be in a place in life all these years later, where you find your tribe and you find the people that speak your language, and are like-minded, and feel comfortable and safe there.

Scott Stapp Performing 2023

*Scott Stapp performing in 2023. Photo: Jerry Kingwell — Revelry Studios*

Back then, the mean-spirited humor about Creed couldn't have jibed with your psychological state. These days, you take it all in good fun, but back then, it must have been like poison.

You know, it didn't line up with what we were experiencing. It was a media narrative that was created. I can't look back and say that there were times where it didn't hurt and where I didn't understand. You've got stadiums on hold and you're selling out every arena in America, but then you're reading articles that you're this hated band, and it's just not lining up.

And we didn't have social media to talk back and correct things that were said. Not that I would even do that now, or waste my time.

I definitely feel that some of that did affect me in a negative way, and I didn't handle it appropriately. I would actually say that some of it probably caused some trauma, and the only way I knew how to do that was numb the pain.

We're in a different place now. We've got much thicker skin, and know what's important in life, and know whose opinions matter. But when you're young and that happens, it definitely has a profound impact on you. And I think was a big contributing factor — one of the reasons the band split up. I mean, there were others, but it was kind of a domino effect.

All in all, you seem to be in a really healthy and positive spot. Where do you want to go from here?

Right now, I'm in the moment. The album hasn't come out yet. I feel like we're at the very tip, tip, tip of the iceberg on this record. We've got the Creed stuff in between, and something tells me in my heart that this album's really going to be making continual impact all the way through 2025.

I'll be doing some solo touring and promotion in between the Creed stuff along the way, and then I look at 2025 as a continuation of the Higher Power tour and promotion.

Not to be clichéd, but I think the best is yet to come for this record, and we're at the beginning. So, I'm just taking it one day at a time, man.

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Everything We Know About Twenty One Pilots' New Album 'Clancy'
Twenty One Pilots

Photo: Ashley Osborn

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Everything We Know About Twenty One Pilots' New Album 'Clancy'

Three years in the making, Twenty One Pilots are returning with their seventh album, 'Clancy.' Take a look at all of the details they've revealed so far, including the release date and track list.

GRAMMYs/Feb 29, 2024 - 10:57 pm

In a year that's seeing the return of alt-rock gods Kings of Leon, Vampire Weekend and the Black Keys, Twenty One Pilots are ready to join the party, too.

The GRAMMY-winning rock duo announced on Feb. 29 that their seventh studio album, titled Clancy, will arrive in May via Fueled By Ramen. Along with unveiling the project's cover art and lead single, "Overcompensate," Twenty One Pilots declared in the first teaser that "a new chapter begins" with Clancy which will also bring a close to the ever-evolving narrative they started in 2015 with Blurryface.

Below, get all of the details Twenty One Pilots have revealed about Clancy.

It's Arriving On The 9th Anniversary Of Blurryface

Clancy will be released on May 17, which is a special day in Twenty One Pilots land. On that day in 2015, the duo released their now multi-platinum breakthrough album, Blurryface. (May is also seemingly a favorite month for the pair, as Clancy marks their third May album release; their last LP, Scaled and Icy, arrived on May 21, 2021.)

The First Single Is Here

A few hours after announcing Clancy, Twenty One Pilots unveiled the album's lead single, "Overcompensating." After a nearly two-minute synth intro that builds over a racing beat, the song sees singer Tyler Joseph return to his signature rap-inspired delivery. Its swirling production and echoing vocals feel reminiscent of Trench — but more on that later.

It Has 13 Tracks

Though the duo didn't post the Clancy track list, the song titles can be found on Apple Music. Kicking off with "Overcompensate," the track list is as follows:

1. Overcompensate 
2. Next Semester 
3. Midwest Indigo
4. Routines In The Night
5. Backslide 
6. Vignette
7. The Craving (Jenna's Version)
8. Lavish
9. Navigating 
10. Snap Back 
11. Oldies Station
12. At the Risk Of Feeling Dumb
13. Paladin Strait

It Takes Fans Back To 'Trench'

Despite the fact that TOP's first album teaser noted that "a new chapter begins" with Clancy, the cryptic clip proclaimed, "I am returning to Trench. I am Clancy." As the duo's fans know, Trench is the name of their 2018 LP; the project was the most conceptual and ambitious album to date, which could mean the same for Clancy. (In fact, the bridge of "Overcompensate" even features two references to two Trench tracks; "Welcome back to Trench" mirrors the outro of Trench track "Levitate," followed by lyrics taken from the bridge of "Bandito.")

Perhaps uncoincidentally, the red, yellow and black cover art vaguely calls back to the Trench cover art, which featured a smoky yellow color and a vulture.

It's The Finale To An Album Series

A press release revealed that Clancy "marks the final chapter in an ambitious multi-album narrative" which kicked off with Blurryface in 2015. What that means for the Twenty One Pilots' future is unclear, but neither their posts nor the release noted that it's their final album altogether.

It'll Be Available In Many Formats

For those who still love to buy physical albums, Twenty One Pilots have quite the array of options. Clancy will be available in a variety of physical formats, including two limited-edition deluxe box sets, four vinyl variants with additional retailer exclusives, an exclusive CD and Journal Book, and a Cassette and Photocard Wallet. 

You Can Pre-Order It Now

If any of those pique your interest, you can head to Twenty One Pilots' official store, as everything is already available for pre-order. You can also pre-save/pre-add the album on streaming services to stay up to date as the pair continues to take fans deeper into the world of Clancy.

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It Goes To 11: Black Pumas' Eric Burton Shows Off The Synthesizer That Reminds Him Of His Childhood
Eric Burton

Photo: Jody Domingue

video

It Goes To 11: Black Pumas' Eric Burton Shows Off The Synthesizer That Reminds Him Of His Childhood

Among his extensive instrument collection, Black Pumas singer Eric Burton favors his Roland JU-06A because of its vintage sound and "that sheen that I love."

GRAMMYs/Jan 10, 2024 - 05:11 pm

Psychedelic soul duo Black Pumas have consistently channeled the sounds of the '70s and '80s. So, it makes perfect sense that the group's co-founder, Eric Burton, favors an instrument that can authentically replicate a classic tone: a Roland JU-06A synthesizer.

"I first acquired the Boutique JU-06A in Berlin, Germany, while we were on tour," Burton recounts in the newest episode of It Goes to 11. "Right before soundcheck, I went shopping with our keyboardist, looking for equipment that I could take on the bus and have on the move for inspiration."

And he does, indeed, take it everywhere. It accompanies him to lunch, dinner and even more soundchecks.

"I like how vintage it sounded. I love how toyish it felt. It reminds me of my childhood, almost like a Polaroid picture. It has that sheen I love," Burton says.

Most days, he utilizes the Roland JU-06A to simulate the feeling of other players: "There's a button you can push to hold whatever chord you're playing in place so that once you push it down, it'll go on forever."

You can witness the magic of Burton's synthesizer in person throughout the first half of the year, as the Black Pumas will kick off their 2024 tour on Jan. 18. The trek is in support of their sophomore album, Chronicles of a Diamond, which includes their latest GRAMMY-nominated track, "More Than A Love Song," up for Best Rock Performance at the 2024 GRAMMYs.

Press play on the video above to learn more about the features of Eric Burton's beloved Roland JU-06A synthesizer, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of It Goes to 11.

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