In a new interview with Classic Rock, Creed frontman Scott Stapp talked about reuniting with the band and recalled their failed 2009 reunion after the release of their album ‘Full Circle.’
“I’m kind of at a loss [to explain it], because my heart was in the right place,” explained the singer. “And it’s in the right place now. But, to answer it honestly, I think there were certain things in my life at that period of time that I needed to weed out and get rid of which could enable me to be the best version of myself. I think that would be the only difference between then and now.”
Creed reunited for the album ‘Full Circle’ in 2009, but by then, the music industry had changed, their hits had faded, and mainstream attention had shifted. The album sold only 455,000 copies, which is less than one-tenth of what their previous three albums sold.
By the time of their 2012 tour, large arena shows were a thing of the past. Only the most dedicated fans filled theaters. That tour grossed $2.3 million and sold 49,000 tickets across 20 reported shows, according to Billboard Boxscore. In contrast, their 2002 tour grossed $39.5 million and sold 932,000 tickets over 86 shows.
Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti shared earlier that the band had plans for new material around 2012. However, Tremonti believes they can do better than what they previously created.
“We were trying to get this back together about three years ago, right before COVID hit, so it kind of took things till now. But it’s always something in the back of our minds. Every time we get going and we’re doing promotions for new projects, everybody always asks us about new Creed music, new Creed tours. And it would be a shame not to get out there and continue to do it. I think just enough time has passed where people are dying to see Creed again, and we’re very excited about it,” he said.
Creed officially announced their reunion on July 19, 2023. The news ended years of speculation and set the stage for their return.
Creed has also expanded their 2024 tour, their first in ten years. They added 20 more shows with guests 3 Doors Down, Finger Eleven, and Mammoth WVH. Originally planned for July to September, the ‘Are You Ready? Tour’ now runs from November 2 to December 5.