Scott Wilson

Scott Wilson at Bratfest 2018
photo by Tricia Starr--TStarr Photography

Scott Wilson had left Tantric after a few years for many reasons. From recording deadline issues, to missed rehearsals, where a certain bandmate didn’t show, to complete chaos when the lead singer didn’t make shows they had scheduled. Scott, being the professional musician that he is, had to move on to keep forward progress. For the record, he has no negative feelings for Tantric leader Hugo Ferreira. He toured with Tantric on Make America Rock Again tour, and Saving Abel was on the bill.

Saving Abel reached out to him and asked him to join.  He describes Saving Abel as a southern rock band with a twist. The timing was perfect with the tour.

Before hitting the BratFest Main Stage last week, Scott had a moment to tell us what’s coming up for Saving Abel, and Scott himself.

Maximum Ink: After you departure from Tantric, you replaced Eric Taylor last year. How’s the transition, and the tour coming?
Scott Wilson: It’s going great! The excitement in joining the band was writing and doing a new record which we’re getting going right now so that’s exciting. The tours are great you know it’s great bunch of redneck fellows like me; it works well.

MI: I hear there’s new music coming out?
SW: We’re looking at right now work and I’m guessing total speculation is about spring of next year. We should have the record out now. There may be a single between now and then, but I haven’t heard a confirmed message on that yet.

MI: New endorsements?
SW: Yeah, I mean there’s some new stuff right now that’s in the works that I can talk about yet but, I’m lucky enough to have Ernie Ball on my team, and play the great Music Man basses. Spector basses as well. RS Guitarworks in Winchester, Kentucky actually does a lot of my set ups and stuff, they’re amazing and you know I love those guys. They build some unbelievable guitars, RS guitarworks.

MI: One a different note, you have a recording studio Sunshine Studios live, in Colorado. Give us a rundown of the clients and how the studio is growing.
SW: The studio is great. It’s actually attached to the venue Sunshine Studios live and the studio started out there before the venue. So it’s 12 years now, and I’ve in a kind of jumped on board, taking the bull by the horns. One of my favorite things we’ve done lately, is Emperors and elephants. That was a couple years ago. They’re from this area (Chicago). They’re starting to play out again and it’s exciting. We work with the EMP Records a lot, Pavement and Sony red.

MI: I would like to mention the Bass Bomb store. Can you explain what your merchandise line is, and what charities you work with?
SW: Sure, and you know the cool thing is, Bass Bomb started out I got this weird idea that I was going to make jeans, you know I don’t know why and it’s crazy. So it started out being a jean company for a minute but we never made one pair of jeans. So the logo was designed for that and then I said, “What can I do with this brand, I’ve already got the copyrights and all that stuff to that logo, so what do we do?” I started to think of what I can do for the community. So now I work with a bunch of non-kill shelters. We’ve done a couple of things with PTSD treatment for veterans to focus with a couple organizations that work in that department.

MI: What is on the horizon for you?
SW: In regards to not just music, but just looking at the next year for me, I’ve got a lot of cool stuff going on. I’m working on my first solo record ever, so I’m doing that, and of course the new Saving Abel records, which is also exciting. A lot of new bands that I’m working with that are mid-level bands that you may never have heard of, and you’re going to start hearing from some of those guys. So that’s exciting for me, and I always love to be able to help people.

MI: What music/band that’s an unknown right now, would you say, to keep an eye out for?
SW: There’s a couple out there. There’s a guy named Chadwick McIntyre. He’s got a record that’s called “Atlantic Panic”. It’s finished, and being shopped around right now. Jamie Suttle is a country act that I worked with. She is absolutely amazing. Her record is out there. You gotta check her out. There’s a band called The Lamb Bed that we’re just finishing up their record right now, they’re really good too.

MI: Your musicianship spans decades, what have you seen in the industry that’s promising to up and comers?
SW: I think music is coming around right now, industry-wise. The laws are adapting to catch up with our technology as far as screaming goes, to where the artist actually can collect well earned money. So that’s coming around, so what that’s going to do is make bands push harder on the streaming. That’s great for the people out there in the universe that don’t have to buy anything. The artist is still getting paid. I’m glad that Congress is trying to do something about that.

MI: You always have inspiring posts, etc. at the end here, what would you like to close out with.
SW: Well, my big thing is, I studied martial arts growing up. I always try to keep a positive mind. I think of things, to myself, what do I need to say to myself, and I just put it out there. A lot of times people think that I’m just saying something vaguely, and it’s really, most of the time, pointed at myself.

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