The Scott Ballew Interview
Born and raised in Austin, TX, Scott Ballew is something from an old western. His music, his stories and film-making are all manifestations of the great wide openness of life, love, journey, exploration of self and creative beauty. Prior to the pandemic Ballew was strictly a film maker, but with life shifting and changing, he began to write songs and thank god for Ballew because he’s one of the greats in our opinion. His poetry is dusty with red dirt from travel, his poetry bitter and sweet like a persimmon, he’s a natural. It was a real pleasure speaking to Ballew about his life growing up in the Lone Star state, the impact and love for his father, his incredible film making, giving music a real shot and his most recent short film, “Leisure Rodeo.”
Are you originally from Austin, TX? When did you first begin to fall in love with music, more specifically songwriting? Was this something that was relevant around your households growing up? Do you have any siblings?
Yes - I was born and raised in Austin, TX. Was there until I was 18 then moved to Seattle for a stint, then CA for a decade. I moved back to Austin around 2016. I did not come from a musical family. I came from a sports family and both me and my dad were on National Championship football teams at the University Of Texas. I was the oldest of 4 boys. But, I remember listening to Willie Nelson and Charlie Pride cassettes in my dads old Bronco at a very young age. I also remember seeing Willie eating enchiladas frequently at Rosies Tamale House in Austin as a kid down the street from my house.
Photo cred: Alex Souza
Who were some of your earliest influences? When and where did you see your first concert and when did it dawn on you that you wanted to be a musician? An artist. When and where did you play your first gig and what was that experience like for you?
I was very aware of the mystique Austin had surrounding musicians like Jerry Jeff Walker, Willie, Townes Van Zandt and Blaze Foley. My first concert was Bob Dylan at Austin Music Hall when I was in 5th grade. Then Garth Brooks at the Frank Irwin Center. Music had always been a part of my life, but I specifically became fascinated with songwriting after watching the Dylan doc 'No Direction Home,' during a radical Yellow Tail/Adderol binge where I listened to every Bob Dylan song I could find for about 6 months. It crushed me. In that same year I believe the Townes Van Zandt doc came out, as well as the Daniel Johnston and Brian Jonestown Massacre doc. That period cemented my love and symbiotic relationship with film and music. From there, my influences became Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, Blaze Foley, and Michael Hurley. And then contemporary artists like Bill Callahan, Joanna Newsome, Cotton Jones and a guy named Aaron Ross. But, it wasn't until I came across Terry Allen later in life that the idea of creating my own songs seemed like a remote possibility.
Photo cred: Bryan Schumaat
Did you participate in any groups prior to setting out as a solo musician? Tell me about writing and recording your incredible debut album “Talking TO Mountains” back in 2021. What was the process of creating that album as well as the overall approach? When and where was the album recorded and how did you go about putting folks together like Shane Renfro, Todd Hannigan, Jordan Johns and a few others to help bring the album to life?
I was strictly a filmmaker until 2019/2020. Though I was friends and spent a lot of time around musicians, I assure you they did not allow a guitar to land in my hands during a campfire. The short version is... In the span of a year, or two, I made a documentary on Terry Allen and started spending a lot of time around him which eye opening. And was living with/dating a very talented musician. I bought a piano for her and taught myself to play. She left, my dad went into a coma, and the pandemic happened all around the same time. I couldn't distract myself with travel, or film making, so I started writing songs. That's how Talking To Mountains happened. A total quarantine accident that I honestly never thought would be heard by the public. In the spring of 2020 I started sending Jesse Woods and JT Van Zandt some demos out of the blue. After a few luke warm responses, I finally started to get some positive feedback on a couple of them. Tortilla Moon and Tent Song being the first that were deemed 'Actual songs.' Since it was the pandemic, and we didn't have shit to do... Jesse Wood suggested we record a few at our friend Shane Renfro's (RF Shannon) house in Lockhart to tape. It was the first time I had ever sung into a microphone when we were recording those songs. I'm not sure the intention was to make an album, but I went in with Shane and Jesse one night and sat in Shane's stairwell and sang and played guitar into a mic without a band or a click. A few days later, our friend Jordan Johns came by to add drums, and Shane played bass. It kind of kept growing from there... Eventually I asked that same girlfriend (by then ex) Odessa Jorgenson to play violin on it, Bukka Allen (Terry's son) to play some piano, and Jesse Woods added some incredible harmonies and other touches to just about every song. The final step was getting together with one of my best friends Todd Hannigan, who I had collaborated with scoring films and commercials over the last 10 years. He added some baritone guitar and mixed it. Then it was mastered by our friend Will Patterson (Sleep Good).
Photo cred: Bryan Schumaat
Would you mind giving some background to songs such as “Tent Song”, “Bar Fly” and “Jubilee 2020”, “Tortilla Moon” and “Talking To Mountains”?
Looking back, the majority of that album and those songs are about my dad, and dealing with becoming a man for the first time. There were other elements following the breakup and sobriety thrown in there, but the culmination of all the material is really about truly becoming independent and happy and ok totally on your own.
TENT SONG - was written in a tent in Wheatland Wy one afternoon, hours after a group of us were trapped 7 miles in the base of a canyon fishing with a raging wildfire above us. Upon getting to safety, I think the correlation between that near death experience and escaping an unhealthy relationship started to work itself out in my head.
BARFLY - is actually my favorite song I've recorded I think. It's subtle, but the piano and violin are absolutely beautiful to me. It's about addiction, and how lonely it can be. And how regardless of how big your heart might be, it can be silenced and shut off from the world when you're self destructive. The danger being no one will ever get to know who you are.
JUBILEE - was an ironically optimistic song written a few months after Covid shut down the world, when my dad was in ICU unlikely to make it, and a really sweet person had just left my life. Trying to find hope in it all, and remain curious.
TORTILLA MOON - was written on horseback deep in Copper Canyon, Mexico on a week long pack trip with Jesse Woods. A fictional narrative about a man who sent his loved one north across the border for a better life, and him wondering if she made it while he's struggling making the same journey to find her. You cannot help but feel the immense pain folks go through in search of a better life.
TALKING TO MOUNTAINS - is a breakup song, written as wheels were pulling out of the driveway. A goodbye letter to someone very special, but not right for you. A wish for peace and a happy life.
Photo cred: Bryan Schumaat
How did the deal with Leisure Rodeo come about? It was originally released on a cassette with the folks over at Royal Okie Records, correct? That following year you released your follow up, “Leisure Rodeo”. Can you tell me about creating this album and how you wanted to approach this work that differs from your previous album? When and where did recording begin and what the overall approach to this record was?
LEISURE RODEO isn't really a record label. It's an LLC I had to start in order to release the documentary "Everything For All Reasons" on Terry Allen. It didn't cross my mind to share Talking To Mountains with other labels, so I just put it out quietly on my own under that LLC as the label. LEISURE RODEO is more of a philosophy than a record label. LEISURE RODEO the album happened almost immediately after TTM was released. In fact, I think they were all written before the release. I was eager to take another stab at it as I felt I learned a little about the process through the course of recording the first album. It feels connected to TTM in a way, but different. I added some pedal steel to it, and horns, and some fun BGs/Duets with Ryan Bingham and Erika Winnerstrom of Heartless Bastards. Other than that, it was the same crew of musicians, same approach, and in the same stairwell at Shane Renfro's house. Although this time it was recorded live with the core band together at the house. The album feels more personal in a way, and less about my dad. And more about me. Or at least a character of me.
What have you been up to so far in 2023? Anything going on for the Spring/Summer? Is there anything else you would like to further share with readers?
In terms of recent work... I recently released a 4 song cover EP called Middle Age Crazy. I also just finished recording my 3rd full length album called Rio Bravo. It was produced by Michael Nau of Cotton Jones, and has some new faces on it. Mat Davidson of Twain is featured heavily on it, with harmonies and BGs. As well as piano, flute, violin, and guitar. Rob Barbato who has produced some of Kevin Morby's albums played bass and was instrumental in the engineering and production. Austin Vaughn who plays drums for Cass Mccombs and Buck Meek played drums. And the background choir from Black Pumas sang BGs on a few. This time we took all the furniture out of my little shotgun house in Austin and turned it into a studio, and recorded the whole thing live to tape at my house. The album is mixed and mastered and I'm starting to shop it around to a few labels. Should be coming out in the fall of 23 or winter of 24. Who knows. On the film side of things, I just directed a documentary about the friendship of Tom McGuane, Jimmy Buffett, Jim Harrison, and Richard Brautigan and the era they all lived together in Key West in the early 70s. It will premiere in Sept. There are also a handful of short films in the works... Ranging from Japanese fishing clubs in Seattle, boogie boarders in Australia, DJ/Fishermen in Jamaica, and the Jubilees of Alabama and more. There's a lot going on, just lucky to be busy.
