Being part of a Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum band like
Stone Temple Pilots
would be enough for many musicians. But it’s not the only thing for Dean DeLeo.
The guitarist — who cofounded STP in the late 1980s with younger brother Robert, drummer Eric Kretz and the late Scott Weiland — has also been part of the spin-off band Talk Show and of Army of Anyone, which he and Robert worked in with Filter’s Richard Patrick during the mid-2000s. He also formed the side project Trip The Witch with Ohio-born guitarist Tom Bukovac, which released an album during September of 2021.
DeLeo’s latest endeavor is
One More Satellite,
a project he formed with British musicians Pete Shoulder from the bands Winterville and the Union. Their self-titled debut album, which started life as a DeLeo instrumental project, features 10 tracks that range from the familiar grungey attack of the first single, “Paper Over the Cracks,” and the high-octane “Spit It Out” to more expansive explorations such as the prog-flavored “Pull Back the Veil” and the gentle, layered “Willow Mae.” DeLeo’s 22-year-old son Rocco plays drums on three tracks, with Kretz guesting on one, while the guitarist’s daughter June, 13, can be heard on the jazzy closer “Your Call.”
With STP in a kind of recording drydock (it’s last release was “Perdida” five years ago), DeLeo, 63, is clearly energized by this latest album — and promises this is only the first flight for this Satellite…
How did One More Satellite come to be?
DeLeo: It’s Pete’s fault. The initial thought of it was just to make an instrumental record, but then I had a couple of songs I sent for Pet to sing on, and I’m such a fan that it was undeniable that both of us should see this thing through. We met back in 2015 and we kind of bonded over writing some material together, and eventually Pete wound up singing on Robert’s record, “Lessons Learned” (2022). He’s an extraordinary musician, well beyond his ability to sing — guitar, bass, drums, keys, he does it all, man. I’ve had the great fortune of working with some of the greats, like Steven Tyler and Glen Campbell and, of course, Mr. Weiland, and Pete’s right up there with any of them.
Were the songs on the album already done as instrumentals and then turned into vocal songs, or…?
DeLeo: I had a couple of piles. I had ones that we really tailored to be instruments, and then I started chipping away at stuff that was tailored to a vocal — and there’s still a couple of instrumentals at the end of each side, “Serenade” and “Your Call.” Pete lives in northern England, so I would cut the song over here,- and of course we had conversations about what we were gonna do with the arrangement and everything. I sent it to him, and when Pete would send a song back after he sang on it, and every time he took that song to a next level. Whenever I got something back from Pete, from the first line I was in.
Was anything a complete surprise, something you never imagined a particular song to be?
DeLeo: “Pull Back the Veil’s” a great example. I actually put a vocal down on it and gave it my best shot, and I wrote the lyrics and the melody. Then I kind of muted my vocal and sent the song to Pete, and it came back entirely different from where I was at — and of course a lot better! (laughs) It was interesting to see what was coming out of my being and then what Pete was feeling over that song, and they were really a world apart. So when I got that track back from Pete I was really knocked back, man, ‘cause it was so vastly different that it was really nice.
Was there anything you did on guitar for this that felt notable or new to you?
DeLeo: Well, it was kinda nice to do “Can of Worms,” ‘cause I never really approached that style of almost like chicken-pickin’ or plucking on any of my records before, like how the verses and choruses kind of appear on that. So it was cool to finally do something like that. Otherwise…nah, man. I just try to fill my own needs, and when I have a listen back I go, “Alright, that’s not bad…”
Were there more than these 10 songs that you worked on?
DeLeo: Yeah, we have pretty much a second record 70 percent done. It’s kind of the same thing; I feel like this record covers a pretty broad spectrum of songs and moods and tonalities, so it’ll be along the same lines.
You’ve got kind of STP next generation by having both Rocco and June be part of this.
DeLeo: Yeah, one of the greatest things was to be able to have my kids on this record. It was quite fulfilling. My son Rocco is an extraordinary musician in his own right, and my daughter June lends a hand on “Your Call,” just a very short “ah” that we wanted in there. Having the kids on a record was a real, real treat, ‘cause what I enjoy doing most in life is being dad.
Speaking of STP, what’s up with the “day job?”
DeLeo: We’re busy as heck, man. We’ve got a lot of shows left through the end of the year; the last show will be Dec. 7 at (Allegiant Stadium) in Las Vegas. We’re gonna be doing the halftime during that game. I’m out pretty much every weekend between now and then.
Any recording plans? It’s been five years since “Perdida.”
DeLeo: No, nothing with STP. We were out on the road last summer and Robert had written some things that were really nice, and he was kind of itching to get in the studio to record something. I’m not gonna say I don’t miss the level of proficiency and talent that comes along with (STP); I’m very fortunate to be in a band with my brother, who I think is one of the finest musicians on the planet, and (Kretz) surely does have a thing. Whenever we’re together, it works — obviously. But there also is this sort of freedom that happens when you’re just working alone and having your own vision.
Seems like that’s a natural thing that happens to a lot of bands after being around for awhile and building up a body of work like STP has.
DeLeo: I know for both Robert and myself, it’s important to have the ability to go and — and I don’t say this selfishly — but to just go and do some music that’s been inherent in your body for quite some time. People that listen to STP are sometimes not so willing to listen to what else we’re capable of doing, and it’s really cathartic to be able to go into the studio and not have to stick to a blueprint, per se, or having somebody chiming in about, “Hey, do this” or “do that.” If you listen to Robert’s record, it’s very much a departure from what we’d normally do in STP, and I know that’s very, very rewarding for him. And I can say for myself that it’s great to be able to go in the studio alone and just play everything and have my total vision on it…And then still go out and play the (STP) music.
You guys have been pretty functional as brothers over the years. Do you look at band like Oasis and chuckle a little about the drama they project?
DeLeo: Nah, I don’t pay too much attention to it, actually. But I’m really happy for them that they were able to put aside their differences and do this. I think that’s really beautiful, and I hope it strengthens their relationships as brothers, because family is where it’s at, man.
