R. Scott is a beloved local singer, song writer, and piano player who will be celebrating the release of his new album, Family Snapshots, this Saturday evening at 4th Street Vine. Scott moves easily between raucus Cajun roadhouse and intimate, soul-bearing ballads.
His new album picks up where his last album, Mad Forms & Twisted Poses, left off–with a growing recognition and appreciation of the value of family. The songs on Snapshots don’t necessarily form a specific narrative about his life at home, but perhaps reflect who he is, or is becoming, as he navigates the rewards and challenges of being a husband and father.
“A lot of the lyrics I wrote in the past created stories with a bit of my own experience, but they were all characters, really. The latest batch still has a lot of imagination, but is firmly rooted in my own experience growing as a son, father, and husband.”
Scott feels that the challenge of sharing such personal songs is overcoming the fear of rejection, but also striking a balance that allows him to connect with listeners while, at the same time, not giving too much away.
“It’s not like I have wisdom for the ages, but we all have some of that, and I wanted to tap into that shared sense of collective knowledge and feeling.”
Scott wrote and arranged each song individually but, as the process moved forward, he founds threads that connected them.
“Some had lyrical bits that repeated, and musical motifs that showed up a couple of times. I decided to make that work, stretch them or distort them, but make it a whole.
“Prior to making the record, I only played these songs out by myself. I tried to get some of them played in The Carnevel Kings, but we were all going in different directions at the time. It was time for something new. It all came together in the studio.
“I had a vision prior to going in. I wanted to add different elements in different ways. My producer, Matt Lynch, and I just hashed out ideas. We’d use a vocal (or something) from the demos I’d brought him and then tweak the sound of it, using mellotron sounds instead of real vocals or strings, rearrange guitar bits… That kind of stuff.”
This style of music production is actually quite a departure for Scott, whose previous efforts were recorded more traditionally.
“My prior records were all done with a basic band, over a weekend, with horns, vocals and such overdubbed later. With this album being so personal in nature, it felt right to not use outside musicians for some stuff, but feature the female voice so much.
“My writing has always asked for the female voice. I don’t know why, exactly. It’s a beautiful sound, for sure. For these songs, they all represent mother, wife, lover, friend, comfort, loss and joy, really.
“For the background voices I have Marianne [Stewart, of The Commotions] and Kristina [Benson, of Jail Weddings]. They have that good sass, and we went for a Raelettes vibe. Also, Autumn van der Linden for her soulfulness on I Give It All. She shines bright on that track.
“For the last voice, D.D. Wood, mainly because she’s awesome, but we have talked about making music together for years. She loved “Last Time Around” and we worked it out. I knew her voice would be perfect for the song. She ended up singing “Memories of You” on the spot, and nailed it. All the ladies nailed it.”
Listening to the album, with its delicate sensibilities and careful crafting, I couldn’t help but wonder how they’d translate into a live setting.
“Singing these songs is a little scary for me, but I like a good challenge. I’m really excited about the CD release show. I’m putting a band together for the event, including most of those who played on the record. Some of the ladies are going to join me for this, and future shows. I’m also working on some arrangement ideas to get the crowd more involved.
“I toyed with the idea of doing the album in it’s entirety but that seems a bit played out, now. We’ll play favorites from it, and some tunes from past releases. Even some nuggets from the Helmut Stein days. I think it’s going to be a great night, and I hope to have to whole room chanting along at the end.”
Chris Hanlin, best known for his local band, The Dibs, played guitar on the album, and will be opening the evening on Saturday. He’ll then join Scott for the remainder of the show.
“D.D. is singing, Nic Chaffee [Delta Nove] is on bass and horns. Kristina and Autumn on vocals. Scotty Tecce on drums. They are all stars. It is an honor to work with all these talented folks. They all brought their own thing to the table and made it something I am proud of.”
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4th Street Vine is located at 2142 East 4th Street. Music starts at 8 PM. Seating is limited, so arrive early if you don’t want to stand.
The album is available for digital download from CDBaby.com.
To explore the vast body of work created by Scott, visit R. Scott’s Vent Productions.
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