Former Saliva frontman Josey Scott has made it clear he has no intention of reuniting with the current lineup of the band. He expressed strong criticism of the Bobby Amaru-fronted version in a recent interview with Youngstown Studio.
Scott’s comments came in response to a question about whether he might team up with the current version of Saliva to move forward as a unified force.
“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,” Scott said. “Not to speak ill of those musicians — I think they’re very great musicians; Sebastian LaBar [who plays guitar for the Bobby Amaru-fronted version of Saliva], I love dearly. He’s the son of a legend, Jeff LaBar from Cinderella. I adore him. I adore their drummer, Sam [Sammi Jo Bishop]. I don’t know the other [musicians in the Amaru-fronted version of Saliva].”
Scott went on to address his relationship with current frontman Bobby Amaru. He cited personal conflicts between them.
“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,'” he continued. “But it’s just — I don’t know. I don’t want to give the fans the Temu [Chinese e-commerce site] version of Saliva with some kind of a bastardized version that Bobby puts together.”
The original Saliva vocalist concluded with pointed remarks about Amaru’s role in the band.
“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,” Scott stated.
Scott’s harsh stance reflects a deeper divide within the band that has persisted for years. Both sides of the Saliva camp have different perspectives on the future of the group.
Metal Injection reported that guitarist Wayne Swinny explained in a 2021 interview that continuing with the current lineup made business sense. The band unit with Amaru had been tight and functioning effectively for nearly ten years. Swinny emphasized that pausing their progress to accommodate a reunion would have been disruptive and impractical from a business standpoint.
The tension between the two camps hasn’t always been absolute. Blabbermouth noted that Saliva briefly reunited with Josey Scott for a one-off special performance at the 2022 Blue Ridge Rock Festival. Scott performed three songs alongside the band during this event. This rare moment of collaboration included both Scott and Amaru on stage together, offering fans a glimpse of what a unified Saliva might look like.
However, this temporary reunion appears to have been short-lived. Scott’s recent comments suggest that any hope for a permanent reconciliation has diminished significantly. The original vocalist’s use of the “Temu version” comparison particularly underscores his feelings about the current iteration of the band he helped create.
The ongoing dispute highlights the challenges many legacy rock bands face when original members leave and are replaced. This often leads to competing versions and legal battles over band names and creative control. For Saliva fans, Scott’s definitive stance means they may have to choose between supporting the original frontman’s future projects or the current touring version of the band.
