Josey Scott Shuts Down Idea of Joining Current Saliva Lineup: “I Don’t Want To Give The Fans The Temu Version Of Saliva”

Former Saliva frontman Josey Scott has made it crystal clear — there’s no scenario where he’d link up with the current Bobby Amaru-led version of the band. Scott, who fronted the platinum-certified rockers until 2011, has been performing under the name Josey Scott’s Saliva in recent years.

In a new conversation with Youngstown Studio, he explained why rejoining the present incarnation isn’t on the table.

“All I can do, to answer your question — no, I don’t, because it would be sort of a bastardized version of it if I went with the lineup that they have now. Not to speak ill of those musicians — I think they’re very great musicians; Sebastian LaBar [current Saliva guitarist] I love dearly. He’s the son of a legend, Jeff LaBar from Cinderella. I adore him. I adore their drummer Sam. I don’t know the others.

Me and Bobby have just butted heads. And he’s talked crap about me in the press and just done all these sort of… I don’t wanna talk ill of… My mother used to say, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say about somebody, don’t say anything at all.’ But it’s just — I don’t know. I don’t want to give the fans the Temu version of Saliva with some kind of a bastardized version that Bobby puts together.

He’s not Saliva. He has never been Saliva. He definitely went out there and did his thing and filled in the space. And he’s written some songs or whatever. But he said in the press my analogy of, if this was a David Lee Roth–Sammy Hagar situation, I’d be glad to do this with Bobby because he would have as many hits as I had. And he told the interviewer, ‘Let’s face it, Josie‘s no…’ — I think he said ‘Bruce Dickinson‘ or something. I didn’t even say Iron Maiden. I was talking about the analogy — certainly not comparing myself to the great David Lee Roth or the great Sammy Hagar. [I was] just using that as a one-two analogy between the two of us.”

Following the 2023 passing of founding guitarist Wayne Swinny, the present Saliva lineup no longer includes any original members from the band’s 1996 formation. Amaru, who joined in 2011, is now the longest-serving member. When asked if he’d rather reclaim the Saliva name for his own project, Scott didn’t hesitate.

“I would like to get my name back because it’s not like that was a name that all five of us came up with. That was my name. That was what I came to the table with. I put that band together one member at a time. And if Wayne Swinny was here, he would tell you that. God rest his soul. And the other three guys, Paul Crosby and Dave Novotny and Chris D’Abaldo, they will tell you that I came up with that name. That’s my name.

So all I can do is say a Hail Mary that that name comes back home to its rightful place. And now if that happens, I will be glad to pour my heart and soul back into that name and to do a new Saliva record and to even bring in — as much as Dave Novotny wants to be involved. I think the last time we tried to get him involved, he was, like, ‘Man, I’m making about the same money I was making at the job I have now.’

So, he has his boys that he’s busy raising, being a father, and I respect that. I’m a father as well, and God knows I adore my children. And that’s the one drawback from this life, is being away from your family and your children. But yeah, as much as they’ve wanted to be involved, I would welcome him with open arms. Chris D’Abaldo, same thing. Paul Crosby, same thing. It’s our name. It’s not anybody else’s name, and anybody else that tells you that is full of shit. Just plain and simple.”

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