Puddle Of Mudd is an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, USA. To date the band has sold over 7 million albums, and have had a string of #1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. Their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over 5 million copies. They have released 2 independent and 4 major albums, with their latest being Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate in December 2009, and their latest compilation album being "re:(disc)overed", released in August 2011.
Puddle of Mudd was formed on September 13, 1992 in Kansas City by Wes Scantlin (vocals/rhythm guitar), Jimmy Allen (Guitar), Sean Sammon (Bass), and Kenny Burkitt (Drums). The name was inspired by the Missouri River flood, which inundated the band's practice space, and left the floor a big "puddle of mud". The group's first album, Stuck, was released in 1994 on V&R Records. The album was produced by the band and E.J. Rose, and was recorded at Red House Studio in Lawrence, Kansas. It spawned two radio singles (the first was "You Don't Know", the second "Drift and Die"), thereby making Puddle of Mudd a local favorite among fans.
Minus Jimmy Allen, the group released a second album, Abrasive, in 1997 on Hardknocks Records. It had eleven tracks, all written by the band, three of which would eventually make it on to Puddle of Mudd's first major label release. These would be the only two albums that exhibit a dirtier, grungier sound, compared to the semi-polished sound of later work. Differences of opinion and other factors led to the breakup of the original Puddle of Mudd by early 1999, leaving Scantlin as the only original member. Wes and friend from the local Kansas city music scene drummer Dennis Dunbar then decided to reform the band with Jimmy Allen late in 1999 and 2000 but shorty fell into differences once again.