Washburn Artists: Doug Ardito

Puddle of Mudd

Doug Ardito

Armed with a fake backstage pass, some cunning and a buttload of self-belief, Wes Scantlin managed to finagle a tape for Fred Durst into the hands of a Limp Bizkit security guy after a concert in his hometown of Kansas City, MO. Fully expecting nothing to come of a demo hand-off - how many tapes must get thrust on Durst, after all - one year later Scantlin excitedly finds his band Puddle of Mudd the first release for Flawless Entertainment, the label owned and presided over by Durst. "I only had one tape left and wanted to hang onto it," says Scantlin. "I looked at the tape on the counter and thought, 'No, I'm not taking that tape. That's my tape. I walked out, got in the car.and then jumped back out and grabbed it. Just in case." Two weeks after the fateful show Wes received a call from Durst who had flipped out over the songs and quickly signed Puddle of Mudd to a recording deal. Now some might expect the first release on Durst's label to sound a bit like, well, Limp Bizkit, but Puddle of Mudd is no baby Bizkit. What caught Durst's attention was the anthemic riffs and rousing hooks of the guitar-driven band.

Fueled by Scantlin's jagged, aggressive delivery and the unwavering straightforwardness of the lyrics, cuts like "Control" "She Hates Me" and "Out of My Head" are stirring and unabashedly catchy. Producer John Kurtzweg (Creed) and renowned mixer Andy Wallace (Alice in Chains, Faith No More, Nirvana) were duly impressed, too, and signed on to oversee the technical responsibilities of recording Puddle of Mudd's debut album, Come Clean. And for Puddle of Mudd, the song is the thing. Scantlin spent years learning to craft songs that are airtight, not just a catchy chorus with some lines in between. "You want the verse to be just as good as the chorus, and the bridge just as good as the verse and the chorus," says Wes. "You have to make sure that every part is hooky, like you could listen to the song and, the next thing you know, start humming it." "We try to make every song as if it's going to be The Song, every time," adds bassist Doug Ardito. "That's how we all work. There's no point in writing a mediocre song." But while humming along, don't expect many rosy sentiments, but rather a candid show of feeling. "I have to be miserable if I'm writing a good song; none of 'em come from happiness," says Scantlin. "I don't think a lot of songwriters write from a happy moment."

Though he grew up surrounded by music and absorbing FM radio, Scantlin's family didn't have cash to burn on guitar lessons, so he taught himself. "I wasn't that great," he recalls. But necessity is the mother of invention. "I couldn't play anything Eddie Van Halen was playing, so I started writing songs at a really early age." Along with the melodies, he penned his own lyrics, and pushed himself as a singer. "At this point in my life, I see it was beneficial to have that burden, not having money to take lessons.'" Guitarist Paul Phillips' style would eventually prove a perfect complement to Scantlin's originals. "I've never had big guitar heroes," recalls Phillips, who cut his teeth with Jacksonville, FL act Happy Hour before joining Puddle of Mudd. "I'm not into solos or finger dexterity; I'm more into people who wrote riffs." Likewise, hard-hitting drummer Greg Upchurch - who as a member of longtime LA vets Eleven backed Chris Cornell on his 1999 Euphoria Morning album and tour - was a natural addition to round out the quartet. Puddle of Mudd will now spend most of 2001 touring, sharing bills with heavy-hitters including Staind, Cold, Fuel, Deftones, and Godsmack. But Wes doesn't mind life on the road. "I just like to play live," he concludes. "I'll play in front of anybody with an acoustic guitar. They say you've got to pay your dues, and I've paid 'em. And I'm still paying 'em now." So while Scantlin caught a break, the talent and work backing him up proves he is no Cinderella. And would he recommend sneaking backstage? Hell yes.

The Gear

Doug plays an AB34 acoustic/electric bass.

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