Dylan Scott Talks New Music, Fatherhood

With hit singles like “My Girl” and “Hooked” under his belt, Dylan Scott is back at country radio with the small-town anthem, “Nothing To Do Town.”

The song is the lead single and title track of his recently released EP and was co-written by Scott alongside Matt Alderman and Cole Taylor. “Nothing To Do Town” is a mid-tempo rocker that shines a light on life in a town that “ain’t even big enough to be a map dot.”

The music video highlights Scott’s real-life hometown of Bastrop, Louisiana and features his wife and son as well as some of his friends and family.

Country Now recently caught up with the singer to chat about “Nothing To Do Town” as well as his new EP and his family life. Check out our exclusive Q&A below.

Lauren Black: How does it feel to have new music out there? Do you ever feel anxious or nervous before a new release?

Dylan Scott: It feels great! It’s been, gosh, two and a half years since I released my last album so, to get new music out to the fans feels good.

Black: Can you tell me more about “Nothing To Do Town” and why you chose to lead with this as the single?

Scott: We led with that song because it’s an up-tempo song and it says what I wanted to say right now in my career. It’s just one of those songs about where I grew up. If you drove through my town of Bastrop, Louisiana, you would ask yourself, “what do people do here?” This is a ‘Nothing To Do Town.’” It just felt like the right single to put out.

Black: For me, the standout track on the EP is “Look at Us Now,” which seems like a very personal song to you. Is it ever difficult for you to put your personal life on display like that?

Scott: No, it’s pretty easy to write this kind of song since I lived it. My wife and I, we’ve been together since we were 15 years old. There were times when people would tell us, “Y’all aren’t gonna last,” or “I’ve been there before. You last for a little while and then it’s over.” There were people against the whole situation. I was like, “Hey, look at us now, we’re still together. We have a family, a house, we’re living the dream.”

Black: I feel like fans connect with songs like that on another level because they know how personal the song is to the artist. Would you agree?

Scott: Absolutely. It’s the same as “My Girl.” That was kind of the first love song that was related to what I had going on that I put out. I almost didn’t put it out because I didn’t think people really cared. I didn’t think they cared about my story, but they really do. Everybody’s story is pretty similar, you know? Everybody can relate to this kind of stuff so it’s really cool to see people relate to things that are happening in my life that’s also happening in theirs.

Black: You co-wrote all but one of the six tracks on the EP. What do you look for when you cut an outside song?

Scott: I just look for a great, well-written song. A lot of the songs I write are kind of in your face and a little bit aggressive. This song (“You Got Me”) is kind of laid back and flowed really well. It still said exactly what I would’ve said if I would have written the song. It met all of that [criteria] and it was something I didn’t have. I didn’t have a song that felt like that or sounded like that, so I knew I needed to record it.

Black: Has becoming a father affected your writing style or music?

Scott: It definitely changed my writing style. I actually wrote a song called “3 AM” when my son was born. It’s basically about the things that we used to do at 3 AM, and how they are not what you do at 3 AM once you become a parent. We used to rock at 3 AM andwe’re still rocking at 3 AM but it’s in a rocking chair. It changed my writing perspective dramatically.

Black: How about your touring schedule? Are you more particular about the shows you play now?

Scott: I’m definitely more conscious about it. I look at my schedule and go “Okay, if I’m gone this many days, I gotta see him here.” I gotta be around. I still have to be a husband and a dad, and a good one at that. I can’t just go out on the road and say, “I’ll be back when I get back.” It’s all about family for me.

Black: How does it feel to have a little girl on the way? Do you think you will be a little more protective this time around?

Scott: A little bit. First off, we’re just super excited, whether it was a boy or a girl. We both kind of really wanted to have a little girl, just one of each and what happens from here on out happens. I wanna be that dad who is definitely protective of where she’s at and who she’s with and all that good stuff. But hey, that’s the way you’re supposed to be.

Black: Now that the EP is out what is next for you?

Scott: We are planning on dropping more music later this year, maybe in the fall. We’re just gonna keep playing shows this summer and hopefully this single keeps climbing and we keep gaining fans. The goal is just to keep releasing music. That’s what it’s about so there a lot of good stuff coming up.