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Scott Weiland is speaking out about the situation with his former band, Stone Temple Pilots, following news this past week that the group is suing its founding member (details here), who was dismissed from the lineup in February.

Weiland tells AZCentral that he pushed the group to make new music instead of constantly touring behind its catalog.

“Well, originally,” begins the singer, “before the whole STP thing blew up, I said, ‘Look, we need to take a break. We need to make an album. We’ve been playing the same (expletive) set for four years. Without a change. We’ve been watching ourselves go from playing 20,000-seat arenas to county fairs and 2,000-seat casinos.” I said, “I will not sit around and destroy the brand of this band. I will not do it. Will not do it. We have to get in the studio and make new music.” That’s what we loved to do in the first place.”

“We were artists. We were creators,” Weiland continued. “They didn’t see things the same way. They had different management. Their managers, who are just basically booking agents, to put it lightly, they have no problem with STP and its legacy being destroyed. A 22-year band who sold more than 40 million records and had numerous No. 1 hits, numerous No. 2 hits, top 5, top 10. Two Grammys. They don’t give a (expletive). As a matter of fact, I think they’re getting paid per hour. So I wouldn’t (expletive) do it. And they can’t do it without me. So they can say Guys From STP. But they’ve already done two bands [Talk Show and Army Of Anyone] and failed.”

Asked where things currently stand between the singer and his former bandmates, Weiland said, “You know, I don’t really think about it a lot. I think about how disrespectful they are, sometimes, in between a sip of coffee and a hit of my cigarette. I think about how selfish they are and how much it blows me away that after two times of trying this, they still think they have any opportunity of doing it without me. And it’s not me saying that I’m the greatest because you know what? I’m not. John Lennon. Paul McCartney. They are ... better than I am. But as far as this band goes? The vision? The artistic direction of the band? And trying to keep them from sounding like Rush? I’m sorry. I have to be totally honest. It was me. I’m guilty. I kept them from doing it. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

This week, Weiland kicked off a short, west coast leg of his “Purple At The Core” solo tour with his band, The Wildabouts.

Stone Temple Pilots have teamed up with Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington; the group performed as part a surprise appearance recently at an annual in Los Angeles radio station concert event.

STP also released a new single, “Out Of Time,” with Bennington and are offering it to fans as a free download (here).