Getting To Know... Scalawag

Following on from the release of his brilliant 2019 self-titled debut album and subsequent comeback single 'Touch' last year, emerging Vancouver-based artist Scalawag has now returned with his latest soaring effort 'You On My Mind'.

Channelling a more humbled and stripped-back texture this time around, 'You On My Mind' makes for a wonderfully smooth and enticing return. Filled with sweeping overtones, minimal production, and his own subtle voice layered throughout, this new release sees him in a far more intimate and heartfelt light.

So with the new single out and about, we sat down with him to find out more about his background and what has inspired him most over the years.

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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?

The first instrument I ever owned was a Tin-whistle in the key of D, and I think that started my love of music. But I don’t know if I fell in love with an instrument until I started playing Trumpet in high school. Now I’m in a long term relationship with guitar, saxophone, piano, drums, Bass, and trumpet. And I can’t really resist not falling in love with any instrument I can get my hands on.

What kind of music did you love as a teenager?

I was really into a mix of alternative/blues rock, and spoken-word/folk. I lived in a small town in Northern BC, and we had a couple folk music festivals that would happen in the summer. They featured a lot of local bands, and some bigger names from out of town, and I would always buy a couple albums from the merch table. I got really into the Fugitives and Fish and Bird, which were both folk bands from Vancouver, but I was also listening to a lot of White Stripes and Bombay Bicycle Club.

What was the first album you remember owning?

I didn’t get my own way of playing music until I was 12 or so, and it was my parent’s old Sony discman that I would listen to my dad’s CDs on. But I think the first album I remember buying myself was Mother Mother’s ‘O My Heart’ album. After that, I started a collection of albums from bands that played at the music festivals in the town I grew up in.

What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?

I would love to have written ‘From Eden’ by Hozier. A friend I hadn’t seen in a long time showed me that song, and I wrote it off at first. Then he told me to really listen to the lyrics, because he felt like I wasn’t listening to music for the story, and when I did I think I gained an appreciation for good storytelling in songwriting. I owe all of the metaphors and intricate literary tools that I use now to that song.

Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?

I almost always start by writing the music first. I’ll be noodling, I’ll come up with a riff that I like, then I’ll create a tentative arrangement and structure. Then I’ll write lyrics and a melody to the almost finished song. It helps to know how much space I have to tell the story before I even start writing. I usually try to write all the lyrics in one sitting, and then make tweaks and things later on, but recently I’ve been experimenting with writing a chorus, and then letting it stew for a couple weeks to really let the themes and story flush itself out in my head. That way when I start writing the verses, I have a full grasp of where it’s headed.

Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?

I recently discovered Angie Mcmahon, and have been listening to her non-stop. But I’m also putting on a mix of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, and Hozier.

If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?

I mean, to keep going on the Hozier train, I think it would be Hozier. Did I mention that I was a fan of Hozier?

What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?

When people I don’t know come up to me after a show to tell me what they liked about the show. It can be something so simple, or not even related to the music, like ‘I liked the lighting’ but it means a lot when people go out of their way to make a connection with me.

And what is the most frustrating part?

The music industry is very saturated with people who are looking to take advantage of independent artists. I’ve almost fallen for a couple of these scams, and it’s made me very wary of every new ‘Opportunity’ that comes my way. I wish that I didn’t have to constantly feel like people are trying to screw me over and have my guard up to every person who tells me that they really enjoy my music, in case they’re just trying to sell me something.

And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?

The best advice I got was actually last week from my best friend and long time collaborator Zak Windle. He quoted Maya Angelou “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” and told me to stop worrying about how technically proficient or talented I think I need to be in order to ‘make it’ as a musician. Focus on the feeling, and make sure that you’re always checking in with yourself, to acknowledge when you’ve done something cool, and just be proud for a moment before you move on to the next thing.

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Scalawag's new single 'You On My Mind' is available to stream and download now. Check out the new video for it in the player below.