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It’s 15 years since the release of
Stone Sour (the band’s self-titled
debut LP), 17 years since you
reformed, and 25 years since Stone
Sour started: where do you find the
inspiration to keep going?
“I just feel like there’s just so much more
music to make - it’s the same with Slipknot
too. The beautiful thing about Stone Sour
is that there’s this whole realm of rock ‘n’
roll that I feel like we haven’t even touched
on yet.
“We’re really starting to come into our
own and it’s the same with Slipknot; there
are just so many areas that I feel that we
can tap into.
“I guess that’s the thing that should
always keep us all going. The chance to
write the ultimate song, the next big tune
that people want to sing back at you. That’s
the inspiration for me, trying to find that
next big song that everyone’s going to
love and that you always look forward to
singing for everybody.”How have you found the reception on
your current tour in comparison to
your previous ones?
“It’s been our biggest European run ever.
Every show is sold out, we’re averaging
4,000 people a night, it’s huge, massive!
And it’s only getting bigger - everything is
sold out, so we have people complaining
that they can’t get a ticket!
“To have that happening after this many
years is a damn good feeling. It tells me that
we’re still doing it for the right reasons and
that we’re still doing it at the peak of our
powers and our talent and our creativity.
And it also means that we’ve tapped into
a whole other audience who are coming
along for the ride and are just as stoked as
we are.
“I’m very, very fortunate to be a part of
this right now.”How has the songwriting of Stone
Sour evolved since you began?
“I tell you what, man, I feel like I’vegotten better, to be honest. My mind and
my scope and my openness for new ideas
are still there. But I feel like I’ve really
come into my own with my lyrics, with the
chances that I take with my music, and I
like that.
“A lot people as they get older they tend
to close themselves up, they tend to close
themselves off from new ideas and new
experiences. For me, I remember what
I’ve already written so why would I want
to keep on rewriting that stuff? I want
new frontiers, I want new ideas, I want
new chances because that’s how you keep
expanding the boundaries of the music that
you’re known for.
“For me, I love that I’m balancing the
same kind of selflessness and bravery
with the music of the songs, with almost a
refreshing maturity when it comes to the
lyrics that I write.”What do you do to keep things fresh
and to keep things moving?INTERVIEW: COREY TAYLOR