Sophia Scott 'Tumbleweed' Review

 

C2C Rotterdam & Berlin

 

Nathan Leazer Interview

 

615: Hey Ben, good to see ya again. How are you, how’s the family?

BG: Oh, thanks for asking. They're so good. our boy’s eight months now, which is the wildest thing. He's got his teeth. He's rocking. I play guitar for him. He lights up. It's like, unbelievable.

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615: Oh, that's awesome. It's so good to hear. I figured he’d be coming up on one now, cause he was around four months when we spoke last, which was November or December, around Christmas time anyway.

BG: Oh yeah. It's just been the wildest thing in the best way. I mean, it's the biggest blessing, no doubt.

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615: I love that. When we spoke last, you were saying that you thought 2025 was shaping up to be a really good year. How’s it been so far?

BG: So far so great. Yeah, on the heels of this EP about to drop, but also I’m in the middle of making a full-length record right now. So we have a ton of road dates that are about to be announced throughout the summer. I hope to get over there sometime too. I've never played in the UK before.

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615: Well, we'd love to have you over here, and we'll definitely come to your show whenever you do get out here.

BG: Y'all are big country music fans.

615: Oh yeah, crazy passionate fans over here for country music and like, people would love you, like that country rock sound that you've got going on, they'd love it. So, yeah, we hope you do get over here. And speaking of bullet, I gotta say, I've had a listen to the link a bunch of times. I really love this EP.

BG: Thank you so much.

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615: It's got such a great vibe to it. I've had it on in my office, in the car, blasting from the speakers. It just sounds so good.

BG: Well, that means a lot coming from you. I know you hear a lot of music and do a lot of interviews, so I appreciate it. I'm overly thrilled to get it out there. I mean, you never know what - I mean, you make the music that you like, you know - it's so subjective that what one person loves, maybe somebody else is, you know, it's not their taste. But so far, of the people that have heard it before it's out, we've been getting great feedback. So it's, it's always great.

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615: I'm not surprised. Can you speak a little bit more about Bullet? First off, the lead single Bullet, but then the EP just as a whole, like how it came about, you know, how the songs came about? Because you've co-written a couple of them on there as well.

BG: Yeah, co-wrote a few. I've always thought that the best song wins, no matter who wrote it. And a couple of those that I had heard that friends of mine had written, I was like, man, I've gotta record this. I feel like it was tailor-made for me. But Bullet, that song is one of my favourite songs that I've ever written. I wrote it for my wife. We're going on eight years being married, and she keeps the wheels on, but then when we had River eight months ago, that song took on a whole new meaning. And if anybody has loved anybody at all, they can relate to that song. It's loving somebody so much that you literally would take a bullet for them, and but also not just literally, but you would do anything for them at all. And when I look at River, you know, or my wife, there's nothing I wouldn't do for them. And you know, with country music being so centred around the lyric and melody, but the lyric, the storytelling, you know, I cannot wait to get that song out to the fans and new listeners in hopes that they can relate to that song and think about who the person is in their life, that they that they would take aboard, that they would do anything for.

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615: Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, your storytelling and your songwriting has always been such a big part of who you are as an artist with the music that you've released so far, in more broader terms, outside of Bullet, how have you noticed that has changed? Or have you noticed your songwriting has become more autobiographical or more reflective since you've become a parent?

BG: Yeah, that's a great question. I think an artist always, you know, evolves at least. I mean, I feel like I should keep pushing. I've always kind of done what I do. I've never gone, like, way out and, like, done some crazy thing. I kind of stick where I live musically, but with every project, I feel like we'll keep pushing that boundary, but not so far that it's outside of what I do naturally and guitar-wise, too. I mean, I've always thought that, you know, the guitar for me, was an extension of what I do, and just because a guitar intro or a solo doesn't have a lyric on it doesn't mean you can't feel something when you hear it.

615: 100%

BG: and so I put a lot of focus on writing the guitar parts and writing the intro riff. Like to me, that intro guitar riff is so important, because if they if a listener doesn't like the intro guitar riff, then they're going to skip the song long before they even get to the hook at the end of the chorus.

615: Exactly. They're not gonna stick around for the lyrics, no matter how good the lyrics are, if the melody ain't there, or the guitar intro ain't there, like you said, they're not going to stick around for it.

BG: Totally and not that I'm trying to write like, you know, I don't go into it thinking, Alright, I gotta write something that everyone is going to love. I mean, because you're never gonna get that, you know, you have to do what you love, and hope that it touches other people and impacts other people when it hits their ear, and makes them feel something. But, you know, think about like, I don't know, it's rock songs in the 70s or 80s or even 90s, you know, it was so guitar riff driven, you knew exactly what the song was as soon as that riff came on. Sweet Home Alabama, you know, or the ZZ Top song, or, you know, any of that old rock like you knew right away, because it was so identifiable with that intro guitar riff. You don't find that as much in today's country, so that I do put a lot of focus on that, and not trying to overthink it as well too. Because you could get, you can get in the weeds, you know, way too much where it's like, man, if it sounds good, then usually it is good.

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615: Yeah, definitely. And going back to 80s, 90s, rock and country. I love that you've included Cuts Like a Knife on this EP, because when we spoke last time you just released that, and I grew up with my mum always playing Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi and your cut reminded me so much of, like, just what an awesome era of music that was. And hearing you bring it back and do such an awesome take on such an iconic song, it really brought back such a wave of nostalgia for me, I really loved it. So I'm so glad that you close out your EP with it.

BG: Well, thank you. That means a lot saying that because I mean that that was another thing recording that song. We didn't want to deviate too far from the original on purpose, because that is such a timeless song, and I did want to put my stamp on and I feel like we did, but not so much that it's like way out here, where you take away what made the original so special in the first place, but playing that song live, and this goes to the point of what you just said is, I will watch people from the stage that are when we play it, it's taking them back, and it's triggering these memories for when they first heard it, when they grew up listening to that Song. But then the younger generation that may have never even heard that song before, it's exposed them to literally a timeless era of music. So I feel like, you know, releasing that and putting it on the EP is really just, it's a tribute and a nod to, I mean, some of the best stuff out there in that, in the 80s rock and roll.

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615: 100%. you released it at the back end of last year - have you ever heard any feedback from Bryan Adams or his team yet about your cut?

BG: No. I don't know if he's heard it, but that would be awesome to get it to, you know, to get to his ears, that would be fantastic. He's [Bryan Adams] one of the best singers.

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615: Speaking of rock and country, the two genres have always sort of gone hand in hand, and it feels like you really walk the line so well between both, I mean, you fused rock and country, but you seem like you're really embraced by both communities. Like, I mean, you've opened up for Blake Shelton, Hank Williams Jr, but also Three Doors Down, Lynyrd Skynyrd. How have you found the experience of opening up for such huge artists, but in real like specific rock or country genres?

BG: Yeah. I've kind of lived in both worlds, maybe kind of a little bit in the middle. I grew up on 90s country strictly, and then didn't get into rock and roll until more high school. But I remember watching side stage the first time we were out with Skynyrd, and we did a lot of shows with them, it was definitely a crazy, pinch me kind of moment, you know, you listen to that stuff growing up, and then just, you get a chance to hang with those guys. And I remember watching them playing Sweet Home Alabama at the end of night, and I'm thinking to myself, Man, how many times do you think they've played that song? They're probably so sick and tired of it, but they made it seem like it was the first time they ever played it. And that to me was like, man, because, the fans are paying hard earned money to go to these shows, and it's not just a ticket price, like, it's a ticket price and if they have kids, it's a babysitter, it's a hotel, it's gas, it's food, it's a whole thing. And those guys did not phone in even one note. I mean, they rocked out and gave those fans, one hell of a show, and that was pretty cool to see, especially playing that song for them, you know, for years, and I mean, decades, but the rock crowd has been just as good to me as the country crowd, and getting a chance to talk to the fans afterwards, which is a big part of it, too.

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615: What are the biggest things that you've learned about being part of such huge tours? What have you learned from those guys that you've taken with you into your live shows?

BG: I mean, I don't have a song that's been around near that long, or timeless like that. But definitely that story about watching Skynyrd and those guys just lighting it up like that was big, but it was so real though. It wasn't forced, and it wasn't fake at all. And they were just, they were great people. You hear sometimes people say, don't ever meet your heroes, because it may backfire if you have a bad experience, and it puts a bad taste in your mouth, and then it affects the music, and you've heard those stories, but that was not the case. Hank [Williams] Jr was great to me, and Country Boy Can Survive is one of my all-time favourite songs ever. So I got a chance to talk to him about hunting and fishing and hang out with him, which was really cool. So thankfully, you know, meeting those guys, it did not backfire. It was all good experiences.

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615: Did you totally fanboy out, or did you keep it cool until they were out of the room?

BG: I didn't fanboy out, but inside, I did like whoa, I gotta keep it cool. But that's a good thing too, about getting in front of crowds like that is, you know, not everybody in that crowd of 10,000 to 15,000 people knew who I was. I mean, probably a majority of them did not. And so to get a chance to play in front of that many people and walk away with thousands of new fans because you connected with them through a lyric. Well, that's what country music is, you know, connecting with somebody through a lyric and a melody, that's storytelling.

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615: Oh 100%. Do you have a preference with it, whether it's writing a lyric or writing a guitar solo, or does it just depend on the song?

BG: Yeah, it depends on the song. And every time is kind of different. Some will be a lyric driven thing first. Some will be a guitar part that I've written. Sometimes it's a guitar part melody in my head that I will transcribe like on my guitar. So stomp, one of the songs we put out a couple years ago was born from a guitar riff that went mega viral on social media. It's a huge blessing.

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615: Yeah, it didn't do too bad, did it, that one? [laughs]

BG: Oh, man. I mean, it's amazing, and I think that guitar riff has like 36 million views across social media, which is, it's honestly a huge blessing. And it reminded me that a 20 second guitar bit, a little riff, can make somebody feel some type of way, even though there's no lyric on it.

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615: Oh, yeah, like you say melody, it's just as important, like you can feel it just as much and it'll hit just as hard as a lyric if it's done right,

BG: Totally. And I never even expected that to happen. Like, I thought it was cool. I had written that riff five years prior to me putting that on Instagram for the first time. And I was like, it made me feel something, you know, so I'll just throw it up there and I didn't pay any attention to it. And then all of a sudden, it starts lighting up, and all these people, thousands of people, were commenting, what's the song title? I wanna go look it up. Well, there was no song at the time, it was just a riff. So we wrote it and put it out. But that's the crazy thing about it, it can happen in any different kind of way in terms of creating the music.

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615: I was gonna ask, when something like that happens and it just goes, like, so viral. How does that feel for you as the artist who's just there, like, your phone's just blowing up constantly with notifications, the views are going up every time you hit refresh. What does that feel like for you as the artist?

BG: I mean, it's, I think anybody would agree, it's definitely like, holy cow. It's an unbelievable feeling because that many people are connecting with a piece of art that you created and it's making them feel some type of way. That's the blessing of it right there. And the power of social media. I mean, there's a lot of noise out there, you know, there's a lot of songs, a lot of music, some good, some bad. But to be able to reach a lot of people like that online, and then they come out to a show, and I get a chance to talk to them afterwards, and like a meet and greet line at the merch stand, and people say, Man, I saw that guitar riff on Stomp and, you know, started digging into all the other stuff, and that's the reason why I'm here tonight. So reaching people like that's an awesome thing. It's a great tool, is what it is, to reach people.

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615: And like you say, that's a huge compliment to you as an artist, when you're talking about it getting people to come to that show, it's not just buying the tickets, like you say, maybe it’s getting the babysitter, paying for the travel to get there, or maybe a hotel, and the fact that your music has prompted them to do all that and to invest their time and their money. It must just be so humbling?

BG: Totally humbling. I never lose sight of that. I’ve been on the road for a long time and I we’ve played all over the place - and hopefully in the UK shortly - but I've always been a road guy and connecting with people face to face through live music.

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615: Last time we caught up, we spoke about because your long-running collaboration with your producers, Neil and Patrick Thrasher, you've got, a real dream team combination going at the minute. And you spoke about how important it is to have real good producers who can push you. For example, with Cuts Like a Knife, you said they pushed you to explore the higher end of your register. You've worked with them again for this EP; how have they pushed you for these new songs?

BG: Yeah, that's a great question. I remember with writing the guitar parts and the intros in the solo, you know, it's really easy to overthink it and get in the weeds, but I was struggling for the ‘Kinda Can't Say No’ intro guitar part. I had spent a lot of time, and I had so many different options on what it could be, but none of them were hitting me right. And I knew as soon as I played it or heard in my head, that I would know right away, and I just hadn't connected it yet. And now at this point, we're in the studio, and I'm trying to lay down the parts, and none of them were working. And Neil and Pat had walked away for a second, and I was just trying to get my head and my hands right, and it was a frustrating moment. And Neil walks in, and he said: hey man, don't think, just play. You're overthinking it. It's like, let your hands go where they want to go, and just listen to the music, and just go where the song takes you. And it sounds cliche, but it's so true. And that very next take, I let go of all the stuff I was thinking about, and that very next take ended up being the one that was the intro riff that's on the record. So I guess the point is you can overthink it, and it's easy sometimes to get in the weeds, rather than just let the music take you where you want it to go, and finding that right thing for what the song needs. If that makes any sense at all.

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615: No, it does. It totally does. Have you played all of these songs live yet?

BG: Oh yeah, played them all live. Bullet’s up there as one my top songs that I've ever written or recorded. But live, I mean, ‘Mistakes’ is really fun to play live because that's got some rock and roll musically, so we like that. We hit it hard when that song comes around. ‘Dirt Ones’ is a rocker too. We haven't played that one as much. That's probably the newest one of the EP.

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615: You mentioned earlier that you're working on your next full-length album, and it's released potentially towards the end of this year. How far are you in the process with that?

BG: We are in the weeds right now with songs, and it's so hard to pick ‘em. I mean, there's songs that I love that may not make the cut for this because we may run out of room or wanna hit different feels and what we want the project to embody. But yeah, we're deep in that process. I'm writing like crazy, and we've been in and out of the studio, and so at the tail end of this year should be when that's going to be released?

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615: Well, I'm for sure looking forward to it. I can't wait for you to get over here and play for some UK audiences, because you've got a sound that's really going to resonate over here.

BG: I appreciate that. Thank you for spreading the word over there. Big time. I know it hasn't been released on our end yet, but we're going to do a big giveaway, and in celebration of the Bullet EP, we're going to give away a guitar. I’m super pumped about that, so fans and listeners can stay tuned on my social media, because that's going to be rolling out pretty soon.