The biggest Scott Weiland news item of 2014 was when a jailed meth offender who looks nothing like Weiland convinced authorities he was Weiland for an entire month after cops caught him shoplifting razors from Rite Aid in Beverly Hills. The biggest Weiland news of 2015 seems likely to be more musical in nature: The former Stone Temple Pilots frontman has announced that Blaster, his first album with new band the Wildabouts, will be out 3/31 on Softdrive Records. Weiland told Rolling Stone that the album is guitar-heavy and “furry” and that he wrote 11 of the 12 tracks by himself. That makes it a spiritual successor to Weiland’s previous solo albums, 1998’s 12 Bar Blues and 2008’s “Happy” In Galoshes, though he’s considering Blaster the debut album by his new band. The Wildabouts are guitarist Jeremy Brown, bassist Tommy Black and drummer Danny Thompson; they backed Weiland on 2013’s Purple To The Core tour, on which he performed songs from STP’s first two albums, Core and Purple. Here’s more from Weiland on the new record: ““Happy” In Galoshes was an experimental art record, for the most part. Blaster is definitely a band sound: a stripped-down, furry sound with a lot of space between the notes. But it’s tight and to-the-point while keeping that garage rock vibe to it.”

Weiland and the Wildabouts also announced some tour dates:

02/22 Scottsdale, AZ @ Pub Rock
02/24 Denver, CO @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
02/26 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
02/27 Chicago, IL @ Double Door
02/28 Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
03/02 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
03/03 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
03/06 Orlando, FL @ The Social
03/07 Destin, FL @ Club LA
03/10 New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre
03/12 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
03/13 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
03/14 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
04/25 Welcome to Rockville @ Jacksonville, FL
05/16 Rock on the Range @ Colombus OH
05/30 BottleRock Music Festival @ Napa Valley