On the Verge...
~SCOTTY OWENS: Carryin' on Tradition
"He rides alone on a dark stormy night; only the truth separates him from the men who hunt him. He's been accused of following a dream, living hard and carrying the torch of his heroes who came before him. Tonight the outlaw rides in all us..."
Easily
one of the best independently produced CD's to come across my desk this year,
Scotty Owens' 'God Bless the Outlaws' has what it takes to compete with the big
guys. With its impressive mix of pure honky-tonk, and a little drivin' southern
rock thrown in for good measure, its clear that Scotty Owens stands on the verge
of realizing his dreams.
Not unlike many of his peers, Scotty's showmanship showed itself early. "What got me started performing in front of crowds was the 4-H talent show. As a little boy I told a joke called the 'Rattlesnake Story' by Wendy Bagwell, won first place every year I told it. That's when I knew I loved being on stage as an entertainer. Then music took over."
"I self taught myself how to play the guitar at the age of 10." he shares, and by the ripe old age of 12 Scotty had already begun playing in clubs. "I was on drums for a few years, played bass and rhythm guitar in country and rock bands for a while. Then started my own bands as lead singer a while back."
Learning the ropes of the music business hasn't been an easy lesson for Scotty, and true to the outlaw in his soul, he pulls no punches when he recalls some of the hard knocks along the way. "I learned the hard way through an independent label about some crooks in the business. But it was a good lesson." Despite the bumpy road he did have notable success during those years, charting 12 songs and receiving two nominations for "Independant Male Vocalist of the Year".
"I had out a few singles and demos the past few years but nothing like the project I've got going now with the CD "God Bless The Outlaws." Recorded at Profound Studio in Nashville and engineered by Frank Macek, the project has an outstanding track list. Scotty's musical influences are unashamedly evident throughout out the CD, from the southern rock edge of Lynryd Skynrd, to the rockabilly of Jerry Lee and the pure country honky-tonk styling of Merle Haggard and George Jones. Scotty credits Donnie Compton with being the driving force of the project along with his producer/manager, Mark Oliverius. "Through Mark's contacts with hit songwriters and studios, this CD is top quality. I'm very proud of it and the songs."
Highlights of the project are many and all are well worth the listen. Particularly infectious is a duo of honky-tonk charmers that'll have your toes yearning for saw-dusted floors straight off the intros. 'Not Thinking Straight Anymore' (Burns/Oliverius) and 'Keepin' It Up' (Barnes). Scotty balances the rest of the CD with some great songs that country radio hasn't heard likes of in a long time.
"We currently have some eye brows raised in the music industry of Nashville." he says "Finally got a song review in Music Row Magazine and I'm proud to say it was a good review." Unfortunately, Scotty's follow up to his first successful industry showcase was to be September 12th in Nashville, but was cancelled due to the events of September 11th. With over 100 songs previously recorded on demo tapes and a couple of singles under his belt, Scotty pushes full steam ahead with his dream in complete focus. Recently named "New Artist Radio Upcoming Male Country Artist" Scotty and his music are making waves. After years of playing in bars, and learning the business the hard way, Scotty stands ready willing and able to see his dreams become realities.You be the judge. Take a cyber walk over to www.scottyowens.com and give a listen to the sound clips. I think you'll be glad you took the time, and remember his name...you'll be hearing it again.
2000 - Laurie
Joulie Take
Country Back