https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ney9QeWlIo8Vhj0NfbyFu?si=4120e17f7cf9426d
Stone Temple Pilots’ Tiny Music... Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop turns 25, and the world is finally catching up to it. When the album dropped in 1996, it stood out as a left-turn from the band’s grunge-heavy past, embracing glam rock, jazz, and even bossa nova influences. Today, its legacy has only grown, and with a new deluxe edition out, bassist Robert DeLeo joined me to talk about the album, the band’s evolution, and what’s next for STP.
The “Weird Little Gem” Finally Gets Its Due
For years, Tiny Music felt like the oddball in STP’s catalog. It didn’t have the immediate anthemic punch of Core or Purple, and its eclectic style threw off critics and some fans. But time has been kind to the album, and DeLeo isn’t surprised.
“I don’t read the reviews, but I do still feel fond of the music,” he says. “That’s what always matters.”
When it arrived in 1996, alternative rock was shifting. Bands were pushing back against their own mainstream success. Pearl Jam had No Code, R.E.M. had New Adventures in Hi-Fi, and STP went full technicolor with Tiny Music.
“We have so many different inspirations in this band, things about music that we love,” DeLeo says. “I think it was just time for that to come out.”
The California Influence
The album was recorded in a rented house in California’s Santa Ynez Valley, a stark contrast to the usual North Hollywood studio grind. The shift in location shaped the sound.
“There was a lot more freedom to express yourself because you were waking up there,” he says. “It was a beautiful house on 100 acres, and that enabled us to open our creative minds more.”
For DeLeo, this was an opportunity to finally lean into the jazz and bossa nova sounds that had been a part of his musical DNA for years.
“I always wanted a song that could have a trumpet solo,” he says, pointing to Adhesive, which features a gorgeous brass section. “That came from growing up listening to Miles Davis, Paul Desmond, Stan Getz—those records were always in my blood.”
Scott Weiland’s Lyrical Genius and Bowie Influence
While Tiny Music was an instrumental evolution for the band, Scott Weiland was also stretching his artistic reach. He frequently cited David Bowie as an inspiration, and it’s easy to hear that influence in his delivery and phrasing.
“Scott was a great singer and a great poet,” DeLeo says. “His imagery and wording were always amazing, very personal. Some songs I don’t even know what he was writing about or trying to express.”
It was also a turbulent time for Weiland, who was battling addiction while writing some of his most introspective lyrics. That struggle is embedded in the album, giving it an emotional weight that lingers.
Songs That Could Have Been Bigger—And That Trumpet Solo
When STP released Tiny Music, they never got to give the songs a proper tour. The band played a few shows before Weiland’s personal issues sidelined them. Many tracks never got their due on the stage.
“We’ve done Adhesive a few times,” DeLeo says. “But are you going to take a trumpet player on the road for one song? Probably not.”
Still, he remains proud of the album’s sonic risks. “We always wanted to be a band that explored different territories,” he says. “It was about throwing different sonic ideas at people and seeing where it would go.”
The Talk Show Detour and Coming Full Circle
Following Tiny Music, STP briefly split. Weiland recorded his solo album, 12 Bar Blues, while DeLeo, his brother Dean, and drummer Eric Kretz formed Talk Show.
“It was an important part of expression for the three of us,” DeLeo reflects. “It needed to happen.”
Listening back, Tiny Music feels like a bridge between STP’s core sound and the detours that followed.
“Scott’s solo record, Talk Show, and Tiny Music all feel like they exist in the same musical language,” he says.
STP’s Latest Evolution and What Comes Next
STP’s most recent album, Perdida, was another unexpected turn—a largely acoustic-based record that showcased the band’s songwriting chops in a stripped-down form. But like Tiny Music, it never got its proper live moment.
“We were just having fun writing acoustically,” DeLeo says. “All my songs start that way, so to follow that through was a challenge, but it felt right.”
With the band returning to the road, the question remains: will Perdida finally get its moment, or is it time to move on?
“I think we’re just ready to get out there,” he says. “Our first show back is at Sturgis, playing for a bunch of bikers—what a way to come back and get your ya-yas out.”
The Legacy of Tiny Music
After 25 years, Tiny Music is no longer the oddball—it’s a classic. Its mix of glam, jazz, and rock influences has only become more revered with time.
“The beauty of music is that it brings you back to where you first wrote it, first played it, first recorded it,” DeLeo says. “And I still feel that when I play these songs.”
That’s the thing about Tiny Music. It may have been ahead of its time in 1996, but in 2021, it finally sounds exactly where it belongs.
Watch the interview above and then check out the videos below.
