Some songs are immediately relatable. Something about it—the melody, the sentiments expressed in the lyrics, the hypnotic pacing of, the splendor—touches some part of you and. At some point, there’s a moment where your world slows a bit and you recognize what that something actually is—the death of a close relative, a fractured friendship, a failed relationship you’d invested so much in.
“Miles Away,” a new track from Stone Temple Pilots’ forthcoming eighth album, is just that kind of a track. The band is sharing the song first with SPIN, and you can stream it above. If your soul isn’t moved by it, lie down—you’re dead.
“Miles Away” is like many of the songs you’ll hear on Perdida: They originate from, and ultimately convey, the pain of heartbreak, either from the loss of a love affair or a loved one. The track has something of a Spanish vibe to it, featuring Yutong Sharpe on violin, Bill Appleberry handling keyboards, and even bassist Robert DeLeo on marxophone.
SPIN recently caught up with singer Jeff Gutt to talk about Perdida–the band’s first ever acoustic album—and “Miles Away,” the track he wrote with DeLeo.
“That was something Robert brought in and he was excited about it,” Gutt begins. “When Robert comes into the studio excited about an idea, you listen. So we were all ears.”
Gutt recalls DeLeo had already come up with a title for the tune and started playing the melody. “After that, the song kind of just fell into place, with all of us working it out,” he explained. “I really gravitated towards it because I can relate it to so many things that have happened in my life. So I tried to put a personal touch on it where I could.”
Perdida will be released on February 7. The band had planned on a tour to support the album, but had to cancel due to Gutt’s injury. But Stone Temple Pilots will be ready to hit the road as planned in April for shows with Bush and Live in Australia. STP will also be joining Nickelback and others on the road for a series of arena gigs in the U.S. this summer. Tickets for both tours are on sale now.
