Creed
stands out as a grassroots phenomenon, built fan-by-fan from the ground
up. The Tallahassee, Florida quartet combines big guitars, dramatic vocals
and bold lyrics to make music that is real – music with which real people
can identify. Fans also jam radio station request lines, helping Creed
to become the first band to ever have three songs in the top 20 of Billboard
Monitor’s Rock chart at the same time. Their debut album, My Own Prison,
was certified TRIPLE-PLATINUM in February, 1999. Creed is also a live band
of rare potency. "Each performance is an intense experience for us," says
singer Scott Stapp. "We play from the heart. I think that’s important the
first time you see a band that you’re in love with. When we play, you can
see the sweat dripping off my face and the spit coming out of my mouth.
You can reach out and almost touch us. And I want to be able to see the
audience. I want to be able to make eye contact with everyone in the room.
It’s a show for the band, too. We’re looking at all these faces in the
crowd and they’re putting on a show for us." Candor, commitment, and fervor
are the hallmarks of Creed, comprised of Stapp and fellow songwriter/guitarist
Mark Tremonti, and the assertive rhythm section made up of bassist Brian
Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. Creed is a young band, but somehow
they play together like seasoned pros.
Frontman
Scott Stapp was raised in a devoutly religious (Pentecostal) household,
the effects of which have shaped his songwriting and world-view. He grew
up singing in church and also nurtured a Southerner’s love for Elvis. Rock
music was forbidden in his home. For punishment he often had to copy --
word-for-word – entire books (usually Psalms or Proverbs) from the Bible
and had to write essays about their meanings. Not surprisingly, imagery
from the Bible pops up frequently in Stapp’s lyrics. "There’s always a
spiritual thrust to what I’m writing," Stapp says. "Spiritual, not religious.
For me, religion was about ‘what not to do.’ Spirituality opens you up,
sets you free."
In
direct defiance to the strict follow-it-blindly-do-not-think-for-yourself
religion with which he was raised, Stapp left home at 17, started listening
to rock music and began writing songs that questioned everything around
him. Initially turned on to heavy rock by Def Leppard’s Pyromania, he soon
began his personal search. Stapp is a huge Doors fan. He read that Jim
Morrison had briefly lived in Tallahassee and soon packed his bags for
the relatively close-to-home college town/state capital. He had a one-week
stint of being homeless (he lived in his car) before getting settled, hooking
up with former classmate, guitarist Mark Tremonti and beginning his first
and only band - Creed.
In
1997, Creed released My Own Prison (recorded for $6,000 with local producer
John Kurzweg – "He’s amazing," Stapp says, "people will be hearing a lot
about John.") with funding from a local concert promoter. The album garnered
local radio airplay, which fueled regional sales of 3,000 albums in just
two months. Wind-up signed Creed shortly thereafter. My Own Prison was
remixed by Ron Saint-Germain (Tool, Soundgarden, 311) and re-released in
August of 1997. The debut single, "My Own Prison," quickly became the first
of three consecutive #1 Rock radio singles ("Torn" and "What’s This Life
For" are the other two).
Creed’s
songs are not light-hearted. Judging from the huge amount of mail the band
receives, most of the fans identify with Stapp’s self-examination and scrutiny
of society. However, he never pretends to have all the answers. Creed fans
relate to the fact that Stapp is trying to figure things out right along
with them, raising questions and thinking for himself. On My Own Prison,
Stapp’s lyrics have themes including self-reliance and responsibility (title
track), organized religion vs. spirituality ("In America"), survival ("Torn"),
compassion ("Sister") and the suicide of a former classmate of Stapp and
Tremonti ("What’s This Life For").
With
influences from Metallica to Jim Morrison, and R&B to Black Flag, Creed’s
music is rich in texture. (It makes sense that Stapp’s an R&B fan;
in the shower, he used to sing along with the a cappella parts on Take
6 records). The band’s musical range is evident on My Own Prison -- from
the dazzling guitar and drums interplay of "Ode" and the graceful six-string
playing on "Pity for a Dime" to the throbbing bass line of "Illusion" and
the way in which the full-blown assault of "Unforgiven" switches gears
to the syncopated rhythms of "Sister." When combined with Stapp’s heartfelt
vocals, the results are memorable. Throughout the record, there’s a palpable
sense of cohesion. While theirs is an egalitarian spirit, the members of
Creed found their collective voice in Stapp’s highly personal lyrics.
"We
get along extremely well in this band," he says, "We’re more like a family
than just a band." He found, too, that his experience provided ample material
for lyrics. Take the stunning title-track to "My Own Prison," for example.
"I wrote it about 4:00 in the morning," Scott says, "I realized I was building
up reasons to blame people. I was getting bitter. Writing the song was
a turning point. I realized that I’m responsible, we’re all responsible
for our lives."
Creed
continues to live up to their promise, every week gaining new followers
to join their swelling ranks. "At the gigs," Scott says, "We find that
about half the audience knows the record really well. The other half have
heard of us. They seem to want to hear more. So we play even harder."
