Scott B. Sympathy

Welcome to Strongwriters on Songwriting (Inside the Song) with your host, Eric Bjarnason Martin and Scott Bradshaw. Each series of this podcast will center around a different theme with highly accomplished songwriters as they delve of into their songwriting process. On each episode, we will have an opportunity to listen to and explore a few of the featured artists songs. In this first series, Teachers, Mentors and Friends, E. B. has the opportunity to interview his co-host Scott B. He has been a fixture in the Toronto music scene for over three decades, both as a band member and a solo act. His band, Scott B. Sympathy, recorded five critically acclaimed albums, of which the first two have recently been re-released.

Transcript

Unknown Speaker  0:00  
Welcome to strong writers on songwriting inside the song with your hosts Eric Bjarnason Martin and Scott Bradshaw. Each series of this podcast will center around a different theme, with highly accomplished songwriters as they delve into their songwriting process. On each episode, we will have an opportunity to listen to and explore a few of the feature artists. In this first series, teachers, mentors and friends, EB has the opportunity to interview his co host and the Dow Jones project collaborator Scott v. He's been a fixture in the trauma music scene for over three decades, both as a band member and a solo act is band Scott Piecyk the recorded five critically acclaimed albums of which the first two recently been digitally. I hope you enjoyed my conversation, Scott. Welcome, Scott, be

Unknown Speaker  1:15  
welcome. How you doing, Eric?

Unknown Speaker  1:18  
I'm very good. It's a pleasure to have you on the show. Thank you. What's going on in Brantford these days,

Unknown Speaker  1:25  
I'm back in my hometown Bradford because I lived in Toronto for 35 years. And it I finally couldn't, couldn't afford to live there any possibly any longer. It just for a lot of years, it was okay for me to live there. I could sort of make a goal. But it got very difficult in the last few years. So I moved here a few years ago. And the city hasn't really changed much. It's sort of gone downhill a bit. But it's the same brand for

Unknown Speaker  1:54  
we're here to celebrate and discuss you as a songwriter, performer and as Scott B. But I think a bit of background, we'll get started on the right foot. So can you tell me a bit about Bradford's influence on you as a child?

Unknown Speaker  2:12  
I don't think it was musically, I don't think was Branford that influenced me musically. But I know that my older brother and sister were like nine and 10 years older, bringing records from the Beatles on into the house. And then bringing like a lot of the early 70s records into the house really, really influenced me a lot. Here. I got, I got devoted to rock and roll. And of course, and people like Neil Young and just all the songwriters. And yeah, the songwriters really stuck out after a while.

Unknown Speaker  2:46  
It was all about the song in the 70s it doesn't seem to be so much anymore.

Unknown Speaker  2:52  
Yeah, it was and then and then the punk rock thing hit in the late in the, in the late 70s punk rock thing hit. And that was exciting. And that was all about delivery and motion and things like that. So that really influenced me as well. I put together a band called The wages. We came down to Toronto and played in the first wave. The turning point in such amazing yeah, like I can't remember what the songs are like or I remember a couple of them. But you know, I guess we were confident enough to be up on the stage with them. And it was very exciting to be part of that first wave. It was very exciting in Toronto. And then in 1980 I moved to 1981 I moved to Toronto and lived on Queen Street and got involved with the whole Queen Street Scene met lots of musicians, everybody was very friendly and helped each other out a lot and a lot of great musicians at that area which I ended up joining a band called groovy religion, William new and Steve Mahaveer. And and they they introduced me to lots of musicians and people like Ian blurton Gordon common such and ended up doing a record in the late 80s that came out in 1990 called Neil Young Street and it kind of had some of the best of the people playing that scene. backing me up with my songs kind of a bunch of Neo folk songs that are.

Unknown Speaker  4:50  
My friends, know

Unknown Speaker  4:57  
this mafia salvation offer Crazy

Unknown Speaker  5:08  
stranger

Unknown Speaker  5:15  
remember again

Unknown Speaker  5:26  
people would go out to bars and check out bands they've never seen before. Like I remember if you got like a Saturday night gig at the Rivoli or something you knew it was going to be packed because people that was one of the things people were doing in those days it was like there was no internet there was it was a more innocent time. And the word of mouth was was I guess word of mouth doesn't really exist anymore because that's been taken over by social or they call it

Unknown Speaker  6:02  
social media.

Unknown Speaker  6:02  
Social media. Yes, that's the word they call these days that's what so that's taken word of mouth was very powerful. And you'd have certain people in community that seemed to connect people together and know everybody and yeah, it wasn't. It was great was there great days for that? stuff

Unknown Speaker  6:46  
stuck out just drinking water radio drowning in his own Wave videos shoot.

Unknown Speaker  7:06  
I am in new shoes on and it

Unknown Speaker  7:12  
is not raining. But the cold damp air can remember the winter out the dust fades into the jar non drinking water all of the BS make it so clear

Unknown Speaker  8:03  
he must be crazy

Unknown Speaker  8:05  
it is not raining. But the cold damp air can remember winters Naptown was all the dust the train the train the train with the board train train train with the can you tell us about this stuff?

Unknown Speaker  10:31  
Well, drinking with the poet, the line is kind of about, you know, living in the moment like I'd rather you know, take part and seize the moment and not not be all regretful that I didn't. It's about trying to do music, I think, and not just doing the day job thing that most people are doing. And the poet, it could have been like in the 80s. I remember in the late 80s, I played in bass for groovy religion. And Elliot left COVID Local promoter, Rada, Jim Carroll, the poet, great poet, Jim Carroll post week poet into town, and he would do a reading and then grew, religion would open the show. And then at the end of the show, we found out that Jim wanted to play a few of us rock songs with them, so we learned some of his tunes and I was able on on at least two occasions, to back up Jim Carroll and play with him on stage and it was one of the highlights of my life for sure. And you know, and to sit in a hotel room with him where we're supposed to be working on songs and him just sitting cross legged on the on the bed looking right into your eyes, like you're an older friend and telling stories. And that was just some one on one really cool stuff

Unknown Speaker  12:05  
so I was just wondering what role did Toronto and particularly Queen Street West play on on your musically?

Unknown Speaker  12:13  
Well, I was accepted into that scene. And then I was lucky enough to run into people like Ian blurton, and Gord coming. And I was influenced by how they played, and I was lucky enough to have them in the band, and helping me come up with arrangements for it, and could never have done those records on my own in any way, shape, or form. So just the whole scene was so so giving in. And then fun.

Unknown Speaker  12:45  
And I learned so communal and is a good word. Yes, it was it had a sense of that. And everybody knew everybody and everybody was supporting everybody. And

Unknown Speaker  12:57  
it seemed like it I mean, there was a you know, there was a bit of a bit of bitchiness here and there, but not, it wasn't a competition to us, because none of us really saw it as a way we could sell records and make money or anything like that. We're just trying to be up on stage and be part of the scene. And everyone kind of influenced each other somewhat.

Unknown Speaker  13:20  
We're gonna have a listen to aquamarine blue. Before we do that, what can you tell us about this song? Again, looking back, I personally love all of these songs. Do you remember writing this one?

Unknown Speaker  13:35  
I remember working on it. And I remember is sort of like my Toronto song. CN Tower is in the background, constantly. And kind of just memories of walking around and looking at things and going this is bigger than Branford Yeah. And just the storyline about you know, the stolen car and not some fiction in there, but stuff that was happening around me simply John Yeah,

Unknown Speaker  14:07  
it totally strikes home with me too. And I love the chorus and the economy of words. Use it gives me a real sort of Lou Reed vibe and the best possible way what say about that

Unknown Speaker  14:27  
there's a bit of influence.

Unknown Speaker  14:52  
Morning aired on Mega sound CN Tower in the background A stolen car you drive around Aqua Murray for the final wasn't dead hooked up the track to the stereo turned on the television set what does that say

Unknown Speaker  15:48  
again

Unknown Speaker  15:58  
time now Noisia doesn't bother me hey I'm gonna move out to the country I've got a job and read for free filling for a really candy saying looking in from the outside no I'm not so I'm not so free some time now

Unknown Speaker  18:13  
like when I was listening to records in my parents basement took me into a whole other world. The whole New York City thing. I didn't know cities from anything so I wanted to get to one I knew that because there seemed to be more going on more interesting stuff

Unknown Speaker  18:51  
looks out the window with the walls made of cardboard newspapers on his feet and his father was too tired today. He's got nine brothers and sisters. They brought upon their knees. It's hard to run a coat hanger on the thighs, Pedro dreams of being older and killing the old man. But that's a slim chance. He's going to the Bulevar on the 3d, he's going out. He's going down dirty.

Unknown Speaker  19:36  
Next up is a wonderful cover by Michelle rumbo, formerly of grievous angels called Beyond the nicotine. I'll let you introduce this one if you like.

Unknown Speaker  19:49  
Well, I wrote that in I would say kind of the mid to late 90s and didn't record it until about 99 or so. With an album that I did but David Baxter and basil Donovan and Michelle Joseph and Gary Robertson called infinity sympathy so but I had had the song for a while and the words changed over time and yeah and then I was lucky enough to have the great Michelle of recorded on one of her records and and then I heard it in a whole new light like I saw her live at the release party that that she had before the song she announced like it was a song about addiction. And I was like, my jaw dropped because I didn't really see the song that way and then after but after that moment, I definitely do see what that song is all about. It's a common addiction. Sure. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker  20:54  
That's why I guess the art of storytelling. You have to leave a lot to the imagination and people's perspective give it different meanings

Unknown Speaker  21:07  
always sort of have done that I don't know if it's because I didn't think I could write clear enough to explain to folks what the song was about so he just sort of lay some details in there about a situation and always like songs like that where you can kind of make up your own story to fit in music while they're writing about me.

Unknown Speaker  21:27  
And at the same time it remains very personal Yes yes. Awesome. Okay there here's beyond the nicotine I urge you all to really listen to these amazing Lyrics by Scott and the amazing Michelle Rambo who puts her stamp on everything

Unknown Speaker  21:58  
woke up too early this morning on the back of yes just let me see if there was an office has shut down locked away went out now it's way too long maybe my headaches hotter than yesterday my mother is almost maybe we'll have to make me be getting into the hottest maybe now Why'd you have to plan Oh, it's way wherever Oh, Nick guilty maybe this way, three Alma Necati. Hey

Unknown Speaker  24:52  
we're back with Scott B. My choices my final choice is can't hold on that way. When you hear it, you can't shake it. Again in the best way. It's so well written, it goes back to your first album Neil Young Street and appears again with a more electric approach in the second album, there is a video on YouTube that complements it very nicely. And so what can you tell us about this one?

Unknown Speaker  25:28  
Oh, it's kind of musing on my past, I think. And, like in a video done in, in Branford here in my hometown, and I was on the roof, the band was on the front porch. My dad was still alive at the time, and he's sitting in a big armchair out on the front lawn is the dog watching, watching everyone. And it's just about moving on and not getting lost in the past. But you can't hold on that way. But you kind of have to hold on somewhat. And so it's amusing about that. My mother died when I was young. So I think I think that's something to do with that song. And it was some about the melody of that song where years later people would come up and sing a little part of that song to me. So people do remember those songs from that era, especially that one

Unknown Speaker  26:26  
right away if you hear it and walk away it's gonna stay in your head until you hear another song and

Unknown Speaker  26:32  
that's why I recorded it twice. I just felt it needed. First time was pretty acoustic. And I felt it needed more of a band approach once i

Unknown Speaker  26:42  
i think it was an excellent idea that both versions are worth listening to I have to say I'm going to close with cat hold on that way

Unknown Speaker  27:12  
always you can

Unknown Speaker  27:45  
you can

Unknown Speaker  27:54  
think of the final loss Good evening call. I can still recall her

Unknown Speaker  28:41  
name

Unknown Speaker  28:47  
think of the final Deal Think of the fun last thing do choose as the Fugees which you can or you can hold on you can hold down you can wave

Unknown Speaker  31:21  
thanks for listening next up so does the indomitable Laurie eights so please keep it tuned until then Eric Bjarnason Martin and I'm Scott be right on, see you then

Unknown Speaker  31:47  
depends on your intense and stop walking around, stopped doing nothing whereas the meaning of the power where it belongs DNI has to recall how you're going to get to the edge of the circle when they know what's going on.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai