Alison Scott talks soul music, Kevin Bowe and the boys in her band
We first came to know Alison Scott from her debut album “Wish on the Moon” and understood right away that we were enjoying a rare kind of artist, that special musician who takes us to real places within ourselves, places of pain and vulnerability that we sometimes fear to go to alone. We asked Scott Herold, the venerable force behind our favorite 501c3 Rock the Cause, to reach out to Alison to talk about her music as well as her recent collaboration with Grammy Award winner Kevin Bowe.
One of my favorite pass times as a child was delving into my father’s collection of Elton John records. I was fascinated with the always changing image of Elton John. The smell of the jackets was somehow comforting and the imagery from them captivating. My first real encounters with lyrical poetry were with songs like “Levon”, “Burn down the Mission”, “Ballad of a Well Known Gun,” “Where to now St. Peter” and “All the Young Girls Love Alice”. The cinematic aesthetic of those songs was like spending a day at the movies each time I heard them.
What made the music of Elton John so special for me was his use of piano. In fact, the music of the early 70’s is very different from today. Most of that era’s great artists wrote their music for the piano. It was an essential instrument of Rock and Roll, every bit as crucial as the guitar.
Somewhere in the 70’s rock audiences stopped dancing and started listening. Soul music in the 70’s was quite different. Dancing to soul music was an essential part of its appeal. The radio format at that time played a healthy mix of both. It was like being in church on Sunday. One moment you were seated listening to the miracles of the Saints and the next moment your body was moving and rejoicing.
It is no small wonder then that I was very taken by the music of Alison Scott when I first heard it. Her music is written for piano with a heavy soul influence. Alison Scott has been making records for about two years now. In her recently released DVD “Live at the Dakota” she describers herself as Just a girl from Minnesota not yet a woman. Where she differs from her contemporaries is that she can think past the last Ben Folds record. Alison is a rare talent who, had she had been making music in the early 70’s, would likely have been topping the album oriented rock charts.
Scott has renowned musicians making music with her. Kevin Bowe, her primary band mate and producer is a Grammy award winner. Bowe has written music for the likes of Etta James, Kid Jonny Lang, and has toured with Paul Westerberg. Other media venues like film and television have welcomed his work as well; Kevin’s songs have been featured in many movies and shows like The Sopranos, Where The Heart Is, Steal This Movie, The Tonight Show, Letterman, Boston Public, The Young & the Restless, Austin City Limits, ESPN, VH1, CMT and MTV. I recently formed friendships with both Alison and Kevin, a friendship that is first and foremost founded by a shared love for music and community.
I want to share a live take with you of Alison doing I Stay Anyway from the new DVD release Live at the Dakota. You’re going to love this as it has both heart and wonderful production values.
Suffice it to say that I was very excited when Alison agreed to sit down for this interview. As an artist she is singular. As a friend I feel as though she is destined to be special.
Talk to us about some of the contributions you feel women have made to American music?
The way the music business is set up, it’s tough for us. When you finally get one who breaks through, it means more. The women who have inspired me the most are the ones that I think changed the way women were viewed in the music business. Carole King and Joni Mitchell were a couple of the first female singer/songwriters to gain recognition in this man’s world. And they had to work really hard for it. They paved the way for the rest of us. They also set the bar pretty high. I hope that the music business will come back around, and start rewarding more true female artists. Enough with the pop princess’ already.
Do you ever tire of being categorized as a female artist and what are the dynamics like when you play in a band of equally exceptional male players?
I can see how some women may get frustrated that we are always separated from male musicians. However, I think that female empowerment is an important thing, and it’s good for us to come together whenever possible. It definitely feels like a male dominated industry. I love my band, they have taught me a lot, but it is a lot of testosterone. So, I wouldn’t complain if we had to bring another female into the band. In fact, we are working on that right now. I’ll keep you posted.
You have a close working relationship with Kevin Bowe who has sold 12 million song units over the past few years. How did your working relationship with him begin and what is like to work with another songwriter who has written for someone as illustrious as Etta James?
Kevin and I met at a songwriting contest through Women in Music MN. I had just started writing, so I entered a song on a whim. It turned out to be life changing. My song won the contest, and Kevin was one of the judges. We started making my first album very shortly after that. I was super intimidated at first. I was sure I was going to make myself look like an idiot somehow. A few years later, and as much as I still look up to him, it’s comfortable. If he has an idea I hate, I can tell him. And if he says he hates my idea, I won’t cry like a 4 year old. It’s nice. We are free to speak stupidly.
How do you see yourself contributing to the legacy of Soul, Rock and American roots music?
It’s weird to even think of myself as contributing. I still dream of being considered a “contributor.” In my own little way, I like to think that I am doing something different. We’re trying to bring back the good stuff. So much of current music is just overproduced fluff. We pride ourselves on being the anti-fluff.
Your music is more Muscle Shoals than Motown. Have you ever visited a place like The Stax Museum of Soul?
I have not. Would LOVVVVVE to though. I think it would be inspiring.
You have obviously done your home work when it comes to Soul and R&B. When did you first discover that you possessed the gift of “Soul” music?
My mom has always been into Soul and R&B. I grew up listening to Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, Take 6, and tons of others. I got my love for it from her. I don’t think I really realized that I could sing that way until the end of high school. I was trained in Classical, Opera, and Music Theater for years. Soul was never really a part of it. Then, the last high school choir concert we did, I was given the solo in “Joyful Joyful” from Sister Act 2. I don’t think anyone knew I had it in me. I found my niche.
You draw from on a rich and colorful legacy of different music while managing to make it sound like it’s new and somehow uniquely yours. For example, you cover Blind Faith’s “Can’t Find My Way Home” and The Grateful Dead’s “Black Peter.” How do you end up making those choices when it comes time to pay homage to your favorite artists?
My dad counter acted my mom’s taste in Soul and R&B, with a love of the Beatles; Crosby, Stills, and Nash; Paul Simon; Steve Winwood; and many other rockers. So, I have a love for both. The Grateful Dead wasn’t something I had ever really gotten in to. But the boys in my band are endless pits of knowledge. They know every song ever recorded. They brought this one to my attention. Once we played it, we knew it was something special. I love that they expand my horizons. It’s one of my favorite things to do, to take a song and sing it my way. I’m never sure exactly how it’s going to come out. I try to do it without thinking about it too hard. We aren’t trying to make the song something other than what was in it. We’re just trying to put some Alison in it.
You’re obviously compelled by some sense of idealism. What ultimately led you to start a friendship with a new organization like Rock the Cause?
Anyone or any group that is trying to better the world through music is on my favorites list. Music is one of the only universal languages out there. Everyone can appreciate it for something. Yet so many people don’t have the access to it that they should, or don’t realize the changes that music can make in one’s life. I was lucky enough to have musical parents that were supportive, and programs at school that were incredible. I know without those things I wouldn’t be pursuing it today. I hope to inspire others to get involved. I’m lucky to be a working musician, if I can give back to the community in this way, I’m on board.
We wish to make note that Alison Scott is headlining the Varsity Theater November 20th.
