“I wanted it to be authentic. I wanted it to be real.”

Scott Stapp shared his excitement about the upcoming Creed reunion tour, adding that his relationship with Mark Tremonti has been exceptionally “positive” as of late.Persistence is finally paying off for Creed fans who’ve been clamoring for a reunion in recent years, as guitarist Mark Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips, and bassist Brian Marshall — all of whom currently call Alter Bridge their home — will indeed be joining forces with Scott Stapp once again this summer, and it’s going to be massive.

Although the cultural phenomenon of Creed never really stopped existing, Stapp argued during a recent interview with WRIF’s Meltdown that the post-COVID years brought about a newfound appreciation for the band. A number of Creed songs went viral in ’21 and ’22, the vocalist said, which meant that new fans were getting in contact with the band’s material (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar):

“I really was excited and anticipated a positive reception, because of just what was going on social media. It appears that we’ve connected with an entire new generation of fans, which is just a gift. There’s a lot of Creed fans who didn’t get to see us play before we broke up. It’s cool. I’m definitely excited about the [ticket] sales and how well [the upcoming tour] has been received.”

Moreover, Scott revealed that first talks about a potential reunion were had around 2020 — which, interestingly enough, was the year when Creed fans thought that something was about after the band updated their Facebook profile with an old photo. He said:

“I think it’s been real organic. I mean, we started talking — I can’t remember exactly whether it was mid-2020 or early 2021 — about the idea, but I wanted it to be authentic. I wanted it to be real. And so, conversations continued. And then it just happened. I think we all knew it was going to happen at some point. We just didn’t know when.”

Although rehearsals are yet to begin in earnest, Scott says that his relationship with Tremonti is exactly where it was years ago:

“We haven’t rehearsed yet, but I’m looking forward to [it]. You know, I’ve had a chance to spend a lot of time with Mark, a lot more as of late, and things are just so positive. The vibe is so cool. I’m really excited to take that positivity, get on stage, and play these songs, man. They’re still so meaningful to all of us. And we can’t wait to rock out.”

Moreover, Scott Stapp is preparing to release his fourth studio album “Higher Power” on March 15, with tickets for a supporting solo tour going on sale this Friday, January 19 at 10:00 a.m. local time. You can check out the newly announced tour dates below:

March 10 – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL @ Ponte Vedra Concert Hall

March 12 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
March 14 – Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal
March 15 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
March 18 – Nashville, IN @ Brown County Music Center
March 19 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
March 21 – Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse Omaha
March 22 – Clear Lake, IA @ Surf Ballroom