Jason Scott & The High Heat: From Oklahoma to Glasgow, Playboy and the Long-Awaited UK shows.
Written by Lauren Page | @LiveWithLP
Jason Scott arrived in Glasgow with one pair of clean underwear left...That probably tells you quite a lot about how Jason Scott & The High Heat’s first proper trip across the pond had been going.
“I have not washed laundry since we landed on the 22nd of August,” he laughed when I caught up with him backstage at Saint Luke’s. “My suitcase is just a giant laundry bag.”
Luckily, there was only one show left.
After making their UK debut at The Long Road Festival, the Oklahoma band joined Josh Ross for a handful of extra dates, taking them from a very wet British festival field to London’s Electric Ballroom and finally Glasgow’s Saint Luke’s.
For those of us who have been waiting a LONG time for Jason Scott & The High Heat to make it over here, it felt slightly overdue.
“We agree,” Scott laughed. “Thank you for having us over here, and thank you to Josh Ross and their whole team for agreeing to this. I’m really stoked they offered us a few extra dates.”
And if you want the authentic UK festival experience, The Long Road certainly delivered it.
Rain. Lots of rain.
Rather than questioning why anyone voluntarily stands in a field getting soaked to watch country music, Scott was completely sold on it.
“We needed that experience. That’s what you expect and we needed it in its full force - and we got it.”
In fact, he reckons the weather actually made the whole thing better.
“The Long Road was a great place to be in that kind of weather because it kind of makes the whole countryside pop, right? All the golden grass. There’s just something quintessential about that rain in the countryside.”
Spoken like a man who hasn’t had to endure 30 years of British weather.
The trip has also given the band a taste of just how different touring the UK can be, going from turning the amps up outdoors at The Long Road to playing inside some pretty spectacular venues.
“The Electric Ballroom (in London) was so much fun,” he said. “Then tonight we’re in this very old church. They’ve redone it very well.”
Saint Luke’s is certainly a pretty impressive place to end your first UK run.
Although Jason had only actually been in Glasgow for around two hours when we spoke.
The glamorous rock and roll lifestyle, apparently, involves a lot less sightseeing and a lot more driving.
But there isn’t exactly much time to slow down anyway.
Jason Scott & The High Heat are currently gearing up for the release of their new album Playboy, and having already had a listen, I described it to Jason as the perfect windows-down, driving-around-like-you’re-a-super-spy record.
“You are a super spy,” he assured me. Finally, the recognition I deserve.
“You’re a Playboy. Welcome to the club.”
Compared with previous record American Grand, there’s something noticeably more dialled-in about Playboy. The DNA of Jason Scott & The High Heat is still very much there, but the sound feels bigger, more deliberate and like a band increasingly sure of exactly what they want to be.
Scott says part of that simply came from finally having the opportunity to spend proper time making it. He once again worked alongside producer and songwriter Taylor Johnson, but this time had the backing of Leo33 behind the project.
“Typically, records past, I would pay for a song every three months because that’s all I could afford,” he explained.
“Well, now we got to get in there and actually work on it. And I think that translated.”
It’s quite the change.
The last few years have seen the band spending more time on the road, supporting everyone from Morgan Wallen to Josh Ross and now finally getting themselves in front of audiences in the UK.
You would forgive Scott for having the occasional pinch-me moment.
Apparently not.
“I just feel like you never make it,” he said. “That’s cool. That’s better.”
And maybe that explains why things appear to be moving so quickly for them.
There’s no grand declaration that they’ve arrived, just another show, another country and another record to make better than the last one.
Playboy also manages to bring a little bit of the band's past along for the ride.
Two of the songs actually date all the way back to Scott’s Castle Rock years. They missed out on making American Grand, but finally found their home on this record.
“There’s some old stuff that was young me and Taylor writing, as well as this new kind of more pointed sound.”
One of those tracks is All This Pain, meaning the album isn't simply a snapshot of where the band are now - there are pieces of much younger versions of Scott buried in there too.
But ask him which song is going to become THE fan favourite and he is considerably less certain.
“I have no idea,” he admitted. Very helpful, Jason. But, you are a sweetheart so we'll let you off. He did, however, have one personal favourite.
“There’s a song called Goodbye Moon. It’s just a solo write. I wrote all of it, and it’s very slow and very dramatic and moody.”
“It’s very kind of classic country and slow and old ballad type of thing. But I think that one could maybe resonate.”
There’s also another reason he feels particularly connected to it.
“Maybe it’s mine the most, and that’s why I kind of like it.”
Then came the disclaimer.
“Or it might just be me that likes it. And that’s okay.”
For what it’s worth, I like it too. So we’re up to two.
Before letting Jason go and prepare to bring The High Heat to Glasgow, there was one final important piece of business.
I always ask artists who THEY think we should be listening to. With so much new music constantly fighting for attention, who deserves a spot on the playlist?
Scott’s answer came immediately: Ken Pomeroy.
“She also played Long Road Festival. Just a dear friend of ours,” he said. “Her and Dak are constantly on the road as well. Ken Pomeroy would be one for sure that I would listen to.”
Consider her added.
Then it was finally time for Jason Scott & The High Heat to take to the stage.
After The Long Road, London and a whistle-stop journey north, Glasgow marked the end of their first adventure across the pond.
“I wish we had as long as we did at The Long Road,” Scott said of their support slot. “But we’re going to start a few minutes early.”
We’d been waiting long enough. We were taking every extra minute we could get.
“This show is for you all.”
From Oklahoma to a rainy British field and finally an old church in Glasgow, Jason Scott & The High Heat have officially made their UK introduction.
Just don't tell Jason they've made it. Apparently, you never do.
I think this was one of my favourite interactions ever.
Jason Scott & The High Heat release Playboy on 18th September via Leo33