CREED's MARK TREMONTI: 'Music Is The Closest Thing We Have To Magic'

In a new interview with the Preston & Steve show which is broadcast on Philadelphia's active rock radio station 93.3 WMMR, CREED guitarist Mark Tremonti spoke about the fact that a whole new generation of fans has discovered the band for the first time and has come out to see the Scott Stapp-fronted outfit on CREED 's recent reunion tour. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I remember seeing BON JOVI come back. I think they kind of slowed down for a bit and then they exploded back on the market again. I'm, like, 'You know, one day hopefully that happens to us. Hopefully these kids who grew up in the back of mom and dad's car and heard CREED wanna see that stuff live again.' And that's what's happening. It's like us, my generation going, 'I wanna go see JOURNEY,' 'cause I grew up listening to JOURNEY in mom and dad's car. If that show comes through town, I'm definitely gonna go see it. And I think that's what's happening with CREED."

Reflecting on the overwhelmingly positive response CREED has received since kicking off its first tour in 12 years, "Summer Of '99", in July 2024 at Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Mark said: "When you get up there and you play these songs that you see a grown man or a woman cry — music is magic. It's the closest thing we have to magic, this intangible thing that makes people tattoo their bodies or go tell you've saved their lives. It's the craziest experience when you hear some of the stories how music changes people."

In the summer of 2023, after an 11-year hiatus, CREED announced their long-awaited reunion — returning to the stage for the first time at the sold-out Summer Of '99 cruise and Summer Of '99 And Beyond cruise. In May 2024, meanwhile, the band's multiplatinum-selling "Greatest Hits" collection made its wide debut on vinyl (via Craft),landing the collection back into the Billboard Top 200, as well as hitting Top Hard Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and moving up the Top Hard Rock Albums rankings. Originally issued in 2004, the 14-track compilation spans the band's first three albums (1997's "My Own Prison", 1999's "Human Clay" and 2001's "Weathered").

With more than 53 million albums sold worldwide, CREED remains one of modern rock's most successful acts. Now, 30 years into their incredible journey, CREED is bigger than ever. In late 2023, the Texas Rangers made "Higher" their unofficial anthem, as it spurred them to their first World Series win. In early 2024, the song appeared in a high-profile Paramount+ Super Bowl commercial, while a NASCAR Daytona 500 campaign also incorporated the hit single. Along the way, CREED has gained a new generation of fans, thanks to countless TikTok videos that feature their songs.