Ray Scott: 2 Sides To Every Record

Ray Scott Premieres Two Powerful Traditional Songs in Advance of His September 17 LP, Cover The Earth

There are two kinds of artists in this world: those who play it safe and those who don’t. That’s part of the beauty of Ray Scott; he isn’t afraid to step out into traffic.

An independent troubadour carrying the torch for traditional country music, Scott makes music that harkens back to a day when men were men and they didn’t apologize for it. They lived life, laughed loud, and had no problem flirting with danger…and they sure as hell weren’t afraid to write or sing about it. That’s Ray Scott, a man who believes his songs deserve his utmost honesty whether that commands a laugh or a deeper look within. What you see is what you get; a man brimming with strength and masculinity but at the same time, isn’t afraid to let himself be vulnerable and allow his songs to punch you in the heart.

Think George Strait but younger…and with a beard.

In his fifteen-plus year career, Scott has cut a swath through the country music landscape so wide he stands in rare air. You won’t find him on mainstream country radio though. His type of country music is raw, much the same way Waylon and Merle’s was. With a swagger once reserved for guys like Johnny Cash or Don Williams, Scott’s songs are born from real life.

As he readies his new album “Cover the Earth” for its September 17th release, Hook & Barrel has partnered with Ray for the world premiere of not one but two of its songs: “Slow Dance” and “Cold Day in Hell.”  Much like when his heroes would release singles with an A and a B side, Ray is doing the same but in the digital age he considers them to be more Yin and Yang sides: songs that complement each other as opposed to one being the focal point and the other just going along for the ride.

From the opening pull of an acoustic guitar soon followed by Scott’s low swinging baritone and that oh-so-right steel guitar, “Slow Dance” makes you remember why you fell in love with country music in the first place.

“Slow Dance’ was inspired from the thought of a guy’s point of view, just being tired of the bar scene,” he explains. “Before I met my wife, Stacey, I could’ve been this dude. A lot of us get out there and lead that carefree lifestyle and we enjoy it…. right up until we don’t anymore. A man who tells you he doesn’t want to love a good woman is most likely a liar.”

“Cold Day in Hell” is the other side of the coin. Shrouded amidst a dark and smoky backdrop, it rides atop a beat that clips along at the same pace the white lines on the highway slip beneath your tires. True to form from the music that envelopes it, the story inside the song is just as sobering.

“This song was inspired by that all too familiar feeling that comes along with betrayal and the loss of faith and trust in someone. It’s the inevitable end where second chances don’t exist.  I’d say most of us know the feeling. It’s not a happy song, but it’s real.”

Cover the Earth is slated for release on September 17, 2021 everywhere you get music.