INDIO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 26: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Scott Stapp of Creed performs at the Palomino Stage during the 2025 Stagecoach Festival on April 26, 2025 in Indio, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
I caught up with Scott Stapp, the voice of Creed, just as he was gearing up for another whirlwind summer on the road. Here’s how our conversation went down, from family life and arena comebacks to roaring Indy cars and free-range chickens.
Listen below.
“It’s surreal…but we don’t take a moment for granted”
We kicked things off by catching up on Creed’s return to the big arenas. Scott told me playing those sold-out shows again felt “surreal,” but also fueled by a fresh sense of urgency.
“We’ve been in that situation where we had our last show…and everything went away. So now we play every show like it could be our last,” he said. “To hear the fans sing every song…we’re soaking it all in. We don’t take a moment of it for granted.”
Hearing him describe the rush of energy still gave me chills—two decades on, and that connection between band and crowd is as electric as ever.
Juggling dad life, grandpa life…and lemonade
Next, we dove into how the tour has folded into his family life. Scott’s oldest son, Jagger, and even his grandkids have been out on the road when school schedules allow.
“You take the good with the bad, and just make lemonade out of lemons,” he told me. “If you focus on love and doing the right thing, you know you’re on the right path.”
He laughed, telling the story of his little grandson calling him “Papa,” reflecting, “I feel like the youngest Papa on the planet.”
I reminded him our first Detroit interview was back in ’97—standing outside the venue, wide-eyed. Now here he is, passing down rock ’n’ roll stories to another generation.
From rock arenas to roaring racecars
Scott’s not just a rock star—he’s lived the thrill of speed at 200 mph. He described sliding into an IndyCar cockpit at the Indianapolis 500:
“Those cars are flat to the ground…every turn, even the straightaways, you feel the impact on your body. You’re flexing your abs the entire time—it’s a true test of athleticism.”
As someone who’s done laps at Michigan with Tony Stewart, I know exactly what he means when he talks about that G-force push into your seat. Hearing his newfound respect for racers really hit home.
Solo triumphs and creative chemistry
On top of Creed, Scott’s solo career has been on fire. His album Higher Power gave him a chance to rebuild from the ground up—slugging it out in clubs, then theaters, now headlining festivals and cruise-ship shows.
“To see high school kids and college kids connecting with my new music—that’s so fulfilling,” he said. “Rock radio has turned me on to these fans, and I can’t wait to melt their faces off at my shows.”
He credited longtime writing partners—from Mark Germani to Scott Stevens—for that consistent spark in his songs. And yes, they’re even talking about tracking another Creed record down the line, “when the time is right.”
Hollywood cameos…and backyard chickens
Believe it or not, Scott stepped into acting last year with a cameo as Frank Sinatra in the Reagan movie. He told me:
“Making music videos taught me how to be on a set—I wasn’t nervous at all. Dressing up like Sinatra and recording a track for the soundtrack was a blast.”
But perhaps the most down-home moment of our chat came when my wife’s question popped up: “Do you still have your chickens?” He cracked up:
“The HOA said no—it was a two-year excursion. Herding free-range chickens into their pen at night? Like herding cats, brother. It’d be the funniest thing you ever saw.”
I told him my neighbors’ birds magically find their way home at dusk; Scott just shook his head and promised to take DMs with chicken-training tips.
Wrapping it up
Before signing off, I reminded Scott we’ll catch him August 23rd at Soaring Eagle in Mount Pleasant. He teased “something big,” dropping alongside his next single, “Dead Man’s Trigger.” All I can say is, between the arena shows, solo triumphs, and tales of Papa-hood (and poultry wrangling), Scott Stapp is as vital and passionate as ever—proof that rock ’n’ roll and family life can, indeed, rock on together.
—Meltdown
