 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Puddle of Mudd" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(October 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Puddle of Mudd | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Puddle of Mudd performing in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Works | Puddle of Mudd discography |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
|
| Past members | See members section |
| Website | puddleofmudd.com |
Puddle of Mudd is an Americanpost-grunge band formed inKansas City, Missouri in 1992. The band has sold over seven million albums. Their second album,Come Clean (2001), spawned the single "Blurry", which peaked at number 5 on theBillboard Hot 100, and remains theirsignature song. The album sold over five million copies by 2003, and was followed by six additional albums, the latest of which isKiss the Machine (2025).[1] Lead singerWes Scantlin has served as the only consistent member throughout the band's history.
Puddle of Mudd was formed in 1992 in Kansas City byWes Scantlin (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Jimmy Allen (lead guitar), Sean Sammon (bass), and Kenny Burkitt (drums).[Note 1] According to Scantlin, the band name was inspired by practicing next to the Missouri river levee, which often inundated the band's practice space, but never ruined their equipment since they were on the second floor. In order to get to their practice space, the band "had to walk through a pile of shit."[2]
In August 1994, the band played at theMissouri State Fair.[3] The group's first release,Stuck, a seven-song EP, was released in 1994 on V&R Records.[4] It was produced by the band and E.J. Rose, and was recorded at Red House Studio inLawrence, Kansas. It spawned two radio singles: "You Don't Know" and "Drift and Die".[5]
Minus Jimmy Allen, the group released an eleven-song indie album,Abrasive, in 1997 on theMadison-based label Hardknocks Records. Three of the songs fromAbrasive were later re-recorded for the band's major-label debutCome Clean. Differences of opinion and other factors led to the break-up of the original Puddle of Mudd by early 1999, leaving Scantlin as the only original member.[6]
Scantlin's big break in the music business came after a copy of his demo tape was delivered toFred Durst. Durst contacted Scantlin, and after hearing that his band had broken up, decided to bring him to California to attempt to put a new band together.[citation needed] At a 2001Flawless Records showcase, Durst noted that he originally disliked the band's material and told Scantlin to fire everyone else in the band and rebuild it from scratch.[7]
One of the first people Scantlin met upon arriving in California wasDoug Ardito, an intern atInterscope Records. When Scantlin found out about Ardito's bass playing, they decided to work together. They were still in need of a guitarist and drummer. Fred Durst decided to contact a guitarist he knew from his hometown ofJacksonville, Florida,Paul Phillips, who had formerly played in a local band there called Happy Hour. After getting the call from Durst, Paul decided to try out for Puddle of Mudd and was accepted, choosing to leave college in order to join. The band held auditions for a new drummer and selectedGreg Upchurch, who was an ex-member ofEleven and had also toured withChris Cornell.
Puddle of Mudd entered the studio in 2000 and released its major-label debut albumCome Clean on August 28, 2001. The lead single from the album, "Control" was successful. It was also the theme song for WWE'sSurvivor Series 2001, which was critically acclaimed. The second single off the album, "Blurry", co-written with Jimmy Allen and Doug Ardito, turned out to be Puddle of Mudd's most successful single, reaching No. 5 on theBillboard Hot 100 and No. 8 in theUK Singles Chart, and also winning anASCAP song of the year award for Ardito, Allen and Scantlin. The song was also used in the gameAce Combat 5, published byNamco. "Drift & Die" co-written by Jimmy Allen was also released as a single spending six weeks at the No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. The fourth single, "She Hates Me" co-written by Jimmy Allen was released in late 2002, and reached the No. 1 spot on theMainstream Rock Tracks chart, as well as No. 13 on theBillboard Hot 100. Allen and Scantlin won the ASCAP award for most played rock song of the year.[8]
The group then embarked on a European and American tour as the opening act forGodsmack andDeftones, and were also a part of theFamily Values 2001 tour, alongsideLinkin Park,Stone Temple Pilots, andStaind.
The album was certified tripleplatinum in the U.S. by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 31, 2003, and as of late 2006, total sales worldwide were in excess of five million copies.
Puddle of Mudd's follow up,Life on Display, spawned three singles "Away from Me", "Heel Over Head", and "Spin You Around". The album sold below expectations. Although shortly after its release, the record was certified gold and to date, has sold over 706,000 copies. Some suggested this was the primary cause of drummerGreg Upchurch's leaving the band to join3 Doors Down after their drummerDaniel Adair joinedNickelback.[9]Marisa Miller appeared in the music video for "Spin You Around". "Away From Me" was featured inThe O.C. in 2004. The song "Nothing Left to Lose" was the official theme song ofWWE's2004 Royal Rumble.
On October 9, 2007, the band released their third major label record,Famous. The first single, "Famous", was released through the band's Myspace page and radio in July before the CD was released. It was a #1 single. Another track, "Merry Go Round", was released throughiTunes before the official release. The following single, "Psycho", topped both theMainstream Rock Tracks andHot Modern Rock Tracks charts for nine weeks. "Livin' on Borrowed Time" and "We Don't Have To Look Back Now" were the final singles released.
In the spring of 2007, the band went on tour supportingHinder andPapa Roach on the Door to Dorm tour.
Their song "Famous" was theWWE One Night Stand 2007 official theme song and was also featured in the video gameWWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008, as well asUFC 2009 Undisputed.
In 2009, former guitaristPaul Phillips rejoined the band after replacement Christian Stone was let go on good terms. Around this time the band recruitedFamous producerBrian Howes to begin recording a new record in Vancouver. Prior to the new album's release, band members said the album's name would be called 'Jacket on the Rack'.[10] However, it was changed toVolume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate. Released on December 8, it has gone on to sell around 100,000 copies.[11] The first single, "Spaceship", was released in October 2009.
On February 10, 2010, a new song, "Shook Up the World", was released. It was written forTeam USA for use in the2010 Winter Olympics. All proceeds from the song went to Team USA.[12] Although intended for release during the Olympics, the deadline was missed.[13] At the beginning of that same year bassist Doug Ardito left the band and was replaced by JacksonvilleBurn Season frontman,Damien Starkey. They played at theDownload Festival,[14] and released their firstbest of collection, titledIcon, featuring the singles from their first four albums.[15]
The band released a cover album titledre:(disc)overed on August 30, 2011. The release featured covers of songs originally byThe Rolling Stones,Bad Company,Led Zeppelin,AC/DC and others. The album's lead single,Gimme Shelter was released on August 2, 2011. According to original bassist Sean Sammon, it was confirmed that the band's first two albums,Stuck andAbrasive, would be re-released sometime in late 2011. Ardito rejoined the band in 2011 and proceeded to tour with them. Ryan Yerdon was also replaced by Shannon Boone. The band posted several online updates during 2012 suggesting that they were writing and recording a new album.[16][17][18][19] Wes Scantlin was interviewed about his latest arrest for vandalism in July 2013, where he was quoted as saying "We have tons and tons of new hit songs. I write every single night, and we record all the time. We're getting ready to go in and do the record, tour a little bit for the summer, and then do the full production and get back on the scene."[20]
Puddle of Mudd toured during 2014 featuring Wes Scantlin with an entirely different line-up. A non-album single, "Piece of the Action", was released in September 2014.[21][22]
The band started recording a new album with Cameron Webb at Grandmaster Studios in 2015.[23] The following year they took part in theMake America Rock Again super tour with other artists who had success throughout the 2000s includingTrapt,Saving Abel,Alien Ant Farm,Crazy Town,12 Stones,Tantric,Drowning Pool,P.O.D. andFuel.[24][25]
In July 2019, a new single, "Uh Oh", was released, with the full albumWelcome to Galvania following in September.[26]
In November 2019, the band performed an acoustic session forSiriusXM's Octane channel.[27] The session went largely unnoticed until April 2020, when theInstagram music meme account @catatonicyouths posted edited clips of the band's cover ofNirvana's "About a Girl". The cover was also given a reaction video byYouTubersJared Dines[28] andSteve Terreberry. The cover has been widely criticised and ridiculed, with most of the focus being placed upon Scantlin's strained, uncomfortable, and off-key vocals.[29][30] The original video, which has now received over one million views and has since gone unlisted, currently sits at 24,000 dislikes against 9,800 likes.[31]
In 2022, Scantlin stated a new album was in the works, and was 'basically pretty much done'. The band's sixth album titledUbiquitous was released on September 8, 2023.[32][33]
Ubiquitous marked Puddle of Mudd's first album not to include newly recorded material, instead being composed of demos from throughout the band's career, including a re-recorded version of their 1994 track "Poke Out My Eyes" from the debut EPStuck, as well as "Dance with Me" and "U Wrekd Me", both songs originally recorded during the sessions for their 2007 releaseFamous. Other tracks such as "My Baby", "Running Out of Time", "Candy", "Complication" and "California" were recorded with former membersDoug Ardito and Christian Stone[34][35] in 2012 in anticipation of a scrapped sixth album. Later tracks include "Man in the Mirror" and "Butterface", both being written and recorded in 2022, whereas "Cash and Cobain" was recorded in 2020.
Shortly after the album's release, Wes Scantlin cancelled upcoming shows due to the shows being booked without his consent by his management team. Scantlin stated in a later interview that all involved in the bookings were fired and may have included band members.[36]
After the lack of commercial and critical success ofUbiquitous in 2023, the band pulled out of promoting the album and cancelled all tours dates scheduled to promote it.[37] In early 2024, Puddle of Mudd underwent a major lineup overhaul after Scantlin fired the band's entire instrumental ensemble. The decision followed reports of internal disputes, including claims that the group had booked shows without his consent and allegations of personal misconduct. Scantlin cited a need to regain control over the band's direction and announced plans to rebuild the lineup.[38]
With a new roster of musicians, he entered the studio and began developing new material. The album's production took place throughout 2024 and into early 2025, with Scantlin taking an active role in both songwriting and co-producing the record.[39]
The new album was officially announced in April 2025 and revealed to be titled,Kiss the Machine and also released the album's lead single“Beautimous” digitally the same day on April 18, 2025 ahead of the full album's release on May 2, 2025.[40]
To support the release, Puddle of Mudd embarked on a summer 2025 tour that included music festival appearances and co-headlining dates with Everclear and Eve 6.[41] Promotion efforts also included a more grassroots approach, such as a viral video featuring Scantlin previewing the lead single at a Jiffy Lube for a friend and unsuspecting employees.[42] The album marked the band's quickest turnaround between full-length studio projects since the early 2000s and was positioned as a creative reset following a period of turbulence.
The albums second single, "Firefly" was released on October 10, 2025 with an official lyric video.[43] Wes Scantlin dedicated the song and music video toLayne Staley,Chris Cornell andChester Bennington.[44][45]
On October 17, 2025 the band released a previously unannounced stand-alone new single titled "Monsters" digitally on all majormusic streaming platforms and digital marketplaces.[46][47] The single was not featured on the band's most recent album "Kiss the Machine", and has was not promoted prior to its surprise release.[48]
Puddle of Mudd is one of the first and most successfulpost-grunge bands.[49][50]AllMusic writer James Christopher Monger stated the band are "on the mainstream side ofnu metal, and the modern side ofgrunge." Despite this, their first two releases,Stuck andAbrasive, are closer to traditional grunge, as raw but revealing looks at the band's formative sound prior to its mainstream polish. Partially due to their association with Fred Durst, the band was grouped in with nu metal at their commercial peak in the early 2000s,[51][52][53] particularly onCome Clean,[54] but lack many trademarks of the genre, such as rapped vocals and DJ scratching. Critics have also described their musical style ashard rock,[50][55]alternative rock,[56][57][58]alternative metal[51] and grunge.[51]
The biggest influence on Puddle of Mudd's sound is grunge of the early 1990s, specifically the "Flannel Five":Nirvana,Stone Temple Pilots,Alice in Chains,Soundgarden andPearl Jam. While his favorite band of the five is Soundgarden who "just shred" in his opinion, Wes Scantlin adds, "all of [those bands] are all wonderful artists and just simplified music, in my opinion." He also appreciates and celebrate the life ofEddie Van Halen, but admits he still can not play any of his solos.[59] Scantlin was also influenced byPrince,Janet Jackson,Michael Jackson,Diana Ross,Commodores,Johnny Cash,Iron Maiden,AC/DC,Rage Against the Machine,Snoop Dogg,Ice-T andNate Dogg growing up, but concludes the "list can basically go on forever."[60]
Since 2012, Scantlin has been accused on numerous occasions oflip syncing during live performances.[61]
On April 16, 2014, Scantlin had an on-stage meltdown during a show atTrees Dallas, in which he threw a microphone and beer into the audience, as well as appearing to threaten and attempt to physically attack members of the audience. He also received criticism as he appeared to be lip-syncing during the performance.[62]
On June 20, 2015, the band was booed off stage at a show inVersailles, Ohio, after Scantlin was spotted lip-syncing to the songs. In response to the social media backlash, the band subsequently deleted their Facebook page.[63][64] With the Facebook page available, the Austin, Texas-based rock bandBlack Heart Saints gained access as an opportunity to promote their music using the page title "Check This Band Out Instead",[65] although later Puddle of Mudd decided to use the page again.
On August 18, 2017,Thetford Mines' Festival de la Relève had to cancel a performance by the band, who were the festival's headliners, after neither Scantlin nor the rest of the band appeared atQuébec City Jean Lesage International Airport, where volunteers were to pick them up to drive them to the festival. No reason was given for the band's absence.[66]
Due to the notoriety surrounding how the band was signed withFred Durst, the band is often asked regarding their relationship with him. Scantlin criticized Durst in an interview in 2004 with Canada'sChart magazine:
"He doesn't write our songs, he doesn't produce our songs, he doesn't do anything for us. He doesn't do our videos anymore. He doesn't do anything for this band. I don't know what he's doing, I don't know what the guy's like. All I know is that he's like Mr Hollywood guy, Mr Celebrity. Like, 'I don't hang out with anybody except Hollywood celebrities'. Every single fucking interview I've ever fucking done, I get asked about that fucking guy... And for me to do interviews all the time and be asked about this certain individual... People think he writes music with me or something. He does not do that. I just don't get it. We have nothing in common. He doesn't even call us, he has his assistant call us to congratulate us on our record. Yeah, that's how pathetic he is."[67][68]
On April 22, 2008, in an interview with Artisan News Service, Wes Scantlin took back his previous criticism of Fred Durst:
"[Fred] got our foot in the door and helped us out tremendously. I think nowadays he's doing a lot of directing and we don't really speak to him too much but we appreciate everything he's ever done for our careers."[69]
Limp Bizkit and Puddle of Mudd played together on Epicenter 2011, along with another one of Durst's former proteges,Staind.[70]
Scantlin later stated that he wanted to make a movie regarding his life and music career, and that he wanted to involve Durst, who had directed several films himself.[71]
| Year | Nominee / Work | Award Associations | Result | Ref(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Award Ceremony / Media | Category | ||||
| 2002 | "Blurry" | Kerrang! Awards | Best Single | Won | [72] |
| "Come Clean" | Kerrang! Awards | Best Album | Nominated | [72] | |
| Puddle of Mudd | Kerrang! Awards | Best International Newcomer | Nominated | [72] | |
| "Blurry" | MTV Video Music Awards | Best New Artist in a Video | Nominated | [73] | |
| Puddle of Mudd | MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Hard Rock | Nominated | [74] | |
| "Blurry" | MuchMusic Video Awards | Best International Video | Nominated | [75] | |
| "Blurry" | Teen Choice Awards | Choice - Rock Track | Nominated | [76] | |
| Puddle of Mudd | Billboard Music Awards | Top Duo/Group | Nominated | [77][78] | |
| Top Rock Artist | Won | ||||
| "Blurry" | Top Rock Song | Won | |||
| Puddle of Mudd | Modern Rock Artist of the Year | Won | |||
| "Blurry" | Modern Rock Track of the Year | Won | |||
| 2003 | Puddle of Mudd | American Music Awards (January) | Favorite Pop/Rock New Artist | Nominated | [79] |
| "Blurry" | ASCAP Pop Music Awards | Song of the Year | Won | [b][80][81] | |
| "Come Clean" | Echo Awards | Echo Award for Best International Rock/Alternative Group | Nominated | [82] | |
| 2004 | "She Hates Me" | ASCAP Pop Music Awards | Song of the Year | Won | [c][81] |
| 2006 | "Blurry" | BDS Spin Awards | 700,000 Spins | Won | [83] |
{{cite web}}:Check|url= value (help)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |