STONE TEMPLE PILOTS singer Scott Weiland (ex-VELVET REVOLVER) spoke with Darryl Sterdan from JAM! Music recently about a number of topics. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

JAM! Music: When you got back together a couple of years ago, was this always the plan?

Weiland: "At first, we planned on just doing some festivals and seeing how it would go. I was also in the middle of my solo album (Happy in Galoshes) and touring that. I was doing both at the same time. I’d do a solo tour then take a few days off and do an STP tour. So it was a natural progression. We love playing live, but you really enjoy it when you have a new album with new songs ... It gives you a real boost. If you’re not creating new material, it sort of starts to feel recycled."

JAM! Music: After so long apart, were you confident you’d be able to write together again?

Weiland: "Yeah, I definitely felt that way. But I was interested in what the material would sound like. Those guys went in one direction and I went in a completely different direction with Velvet Revolver my solo album. But I have always been confident in our writing ability and our producing ability. This is the first time we’ve actually produced our own album. But it’s like any artistic process. You start out with things you like and things you don’t like as much. The band is a democracy and you work through things."

JAM! Music: I read something where you said being on drugs helped you deal with stage fright.

Weiland: "It wasn’t stage fright as much as social fright. I’ve never felt comfortable in crowds. I remember before we ever made it big or even got signed, going into my favourite bar where I knew virtually everybody, and just walking in and being looked at, I didn’t feel comfortable. Unfortunately, when I started doing heroin in 1993, that took away that fright. I didn’t care who was looking at me."

Read the entire interview here.

Stone Temple Pilots' forthcoming self-titled album is currently streaming online in it's entirety at Billboard.com.

The album, the band's sixth studio release overall and first since Shangri-La Dee Da in 2001 - will be released May 25th on Atlantic.

A deluxe version of the album with expanded artwork and two bonus tracks will be available on street date. Target will be given a CD/DVD version of the set with exclusive interview content, and Walmart will air an exclusive STP performance in stores and on its Soundcheck website.

Stone Temple Pilots tracklisting:

'Between The Lines'

'Take A Load Off'

'Huckleberry Crumble'

'Hickory Dichotomy'

'Dare If You Dare'

'Cinnamon'

'Hazy Daze'

'Bagman'

'Peacoat'

'Fast As I Can'

'First Kiss On Mars'

'Maver'