Will Scott Biography
Will Scott was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and grew up there, and in Oak Park, IL. His great-grandfather was a bluegrass and country musician, his grandfather played banjo and sousaphone, his mother was a singer, his father played jazz and rock 'n' roll guitar, and his step-father played and sang blues, rock, and sea chanteys, among other things. Out of this eclectic mix of influences, Scott first took to playing blues on a Harmony electric guitar given to him for his 13th birthday.
After playing for years with his family, Scott began performing with a couple of bands in his early twenties and eventually formed and led, The Forecasters, with J. J. Perry and Jim Richter in 1997. The release of The Forecasters independent CD, "Too Damn Cold," a year later brought acclaim from around the world and recognition of Scott's distinctive songwriting and singing. It also helped to revive a blues scene in a town long loyal to college rock (Bloomington, Indiana).
In 1999, Scott moved to Los Angeles in search of some some new influences and a career in music. With the move came a change in style and focus, from blues and guitar to singing and songwriting. Using his solid blues roots as a launchpad, Scott began writing on the outskirts of the genre and developing his own distinctive style. In the process, he self-released some of his blues studies under the title " Solo Electric Blues ."
Although just a home-cooked CD, the album was quite well-received and helped to launch his career when he moved to New York in 2001. "Folks in New York City just seemed to get what I was doing. I booked a show at Living Room, and a few other songwriting hot-spots in my first month here. That's when I knew I'd made it to the right place."
Scott's style crystallized in New York into a mix of trance americana, funk, soul, blues and roots rock. His success in New York led to an a number of co-writing projects with Gold Record recipient, Preacher Boy (Blind Pig Records, Coast Road Records, Eagle Eye Cherry), C. Gibbs (Atlantic Records), Jesse Harms (Eddie Money, Sammy Hagar, REO Speedwagon, Alligator Records, et al.), and John Truitt (Guitar Shorty, Alligator Records).
In 2005, Scott worked with renowned choreographer, Fiona Marcotty-Dolenga, on her acclaimed "Paradise Strategies" project, singing live as part of dances choreographed to his writing. He has shared the stage with a long list of respected Americana and Blues artists including Buddy Miller, Jolie Holland, Sam Myers, Elizabeth Cook, Tim Carroll, and Grayson Capps.
Will Scott lives in Brooklyn, New York and performs regularly in the area and on tour. He is presently working on his next recording project.