Jul 27, 2021
Following up to his widely acclaimed album 'Nonsuch Park (sa), Scott Helman has unleashed angsty anthem 'Old Friends', offering a first taste of his forthcoming project due out later this year.
The first single of 2021 for Scott, 'Old Friends' can be interpreted in two ways - either as nostalgia for a unhealthy life and wild friends left behind in order to start making better decisions or quite simply missing your friends a year after the covid-19 pandemic began. It's a huge pop banger with a big sing-a-long chorus, yet it's somehow also emotional and may bring a tear or two to your eye.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
My name is Scott. I write song and sing them for a living. I love the earth, and the people on it, and I'm inspired deeply by the strange beauty of the human experience.
When did you start making music?
"Got my first guitar at 11ish. Changed my world."
Where are you from and do you feel like your surroundings inspire your sound in any way?
"I’m from Toronto, hailed as one of the most multicultural cities in the world. I think Toronto really taught me that art is more than style and genre. When there are so many options in front of you- genre’s, ideas, attitudes, personalities, and perspectives, it helps boil things down to what I think the important things are - values, messages, and meanings."
Who or what inspires you to make music?
"I think suffering is hard wired into our lives, and I think the more we can learn from our suffering, the easier it is to alleviate, and the better we get at healing. I try to learn from my own suffering so that I may offer a glimpse of hope, healing, and even sometimes just rageful catharsis. That sort of thing that is at the cornerstone of most of the art I love and cherish- whether it be Beethoven’s '5th' or 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' by Whiteney Houston."
Have you had a particular stand out moment in your career so far?
"Some things like platinum awards and playing the Junos/MMVAS have really pushed me and shown me that what I'm doing is working. But I would say that so far, my most cherished achievement has been my first proper cross-country headline tour. To be able to do that was a dream come true and all could ever ask for out of this crazy gig. To know people are listening and care enough to come see me play my songs is everything to me."
You recently released your single ‘Old Friends’! How has the reaction been so far?
"Insane. It felt so good to put that one out. It’s really kickstarting my next project and I'm so excited for what else is coming down the pipe."
Tell us a little about the track!
"I wrote the song in LA a year before the pandemic about a group of friends I no longer see. I loved them and cared for them, but I wasn’t living my best life and in order to heal and get better I had to focus on people who wanted the same for me. The song is really about the pain wrapped up in that. How even when we get better, we have to leave things behind, and that’s painful."
Do you have a favourite lyric from the release?
"I really like the line “maybe happiness is a moving target.” particularly because it sort of sums up the song, but also because it’s so applicable to life in so many ways. Sometimes I feel like happiness is a pipe dream, and that to want to be happy all the time sets us up for failure. It’s an admission that life is hard, and that’s ok."
Finally, what are your plans for the rest of the year?
"Big plans!!!! New tours, new music, new friends, and new adventures. <3"
'Old Friends' is out now.
Listen HERE
@scotthelman
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