Exclusive Interview With Goldie Scott

“Sea of Love” perfectly captures the butterflies and emotional rollercoaster that occur when a lifelong friendship develops into a passionate relationship. The Doo-Wop Era of the 1950s and contemporary soul-rock are two sources of inspiration for Goldie’s retro sound. You’ll be transported into bliss by “Sea Of Love.” Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Can u tell us where you came from and how it all got started

Goldie Scott: I grew up in New Jersey in a very musical family. My house was always loud – but mostly from my dad and I. He’s a killer bassist and lucky for me, he even plays in my band. When I turned six, I started writing poetry & that’s also when my parents got our first karaoke machine. Singing ‘Reflection’ from Mulan was the first time the family discovered I was actually on pitch. In middle school, I started to combine my love of poetry and singing. That’s when I found songwriting and I haven’t stopped since.

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught

Goldie Scott: I would consider myself self-taught for the most part. I started taking piano lessons when I was 8 years old, but never followed the traditional assignments the teacher gave me. I was ALWAYS a different type of learner. Most of what I learned growing up I taught myself by ear and by improvising. When I got to high school I started teaching myself guitar. As far as singing, I had lessons here and there but it wasn’t TRAINING. We would basically just sing songs. I actually had NO idea how to properly use my voice until 3 years ago when I started working with a real vocal coach.

3. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

Goldie Scott: In my opinion, much of music’s beauty is in it’s ability to make each listener feel something different. I totally believe everyone should be free to interpret my songs in their own way. On the contrary, I am very deliberate with both my lyrics and melodies and those who care to seek, will find the underlying messages in my songs.

4. What do u feel are they key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners and how would u personally describe your sound?

Goldie Scott: My music is complex because I am complex. I blend genres – soul, rock, and folk. That being said, everything I create is soulful. I put a big emphasis on lyrics and storytelling and there’s a backstory behind every song if you dig deep. I’ve always had an affinity for things that are old – old music, old clothes, old cars and you can hear that vintage style in my music. My sound is kinda like if Amy Winehouse, Elle King, and Stevie Nicks had a baby – I am that baby. 🐣

5. Who were your first and strongest musical influences & why the name ‘Goldie Scott’?

Goldie Scott: Growing up, I looked up to Miley Cyrus and Adele. I was obsessed. Simultaneously though, I had many musical phases and spent a lot of my childhood listening to a wide variety. I loved folk music like Mumford and Sons and my dad showed me rock music. He introduced me to the Red Hot Chili Peppers who I think subconsciously influenced my writing a lot. I’ve always had a soulful voice, but it wasn’t until the last few years that I’ve really started to listen to more of the soul classics like Etta James. She influences my current style A LOT. The origination of ‘Goldie Scott’ is a looooong story… we’ll get to it one day. For now, I’ll simplify it and say this: Scott is where I came from. It represents the ‘norm’ – the box society tries to put us in. The ‘shadow’ side. Goldie represents the light. It’s where I’m headed – the bravery to go beyond the limitations set for me, trust my intuition, & choose my own path.

6. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and often emulating others. What was this like for you? How would u describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as rock?

Goldie Scott: As I shared earlier, I didn’t really have a traditional learning background and so I think I had a very different development style than most. What I have found is that a lot of people who were trained understand technique extremely well, but then have to sort of strip away a lot of what they learned in order to find their sound. I had the opposite problem. I found my sound / writing style pretty early on (which is still developing of course), but now I am spending time refining my technique. Two years ago, I started performing live & that’s when I realized that my style lends itself to rock a lot more than I previously thought. It’s fucking awesome.

7. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

Goldie Scott: I believe it is absolutely crucial in my work to address many of these issues – political, spiritual, social, etc. Not only because it’s our responsibility to use our platform to shine a light on these issues, but writing is truly my outlet. When I’m frustrated about gun violence or inequality, I write about it. When I’m questioning the universe – what is anything? Is G-d real? – I write about it. It’s a way to express myself and also connect with others who are feeling a similar way. A lot of these songs are unreleased at the moment and I write songs just for the purpose of entertainment and romance, etc. That being said, in the future of my career, I plan on including these songs in an album that touches upon much deeper, complex issues.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

Goldie Scott: I am organized chaos. Meaning, a lot of my ideas will literally pop into my head while I’m at the nail salon, in the shower, driving my car. On many occasions, I have had to pull over on the side of the road to record a voice memo of an idea before I forget it… and then 2 years later after many demos, walking away and coming back to it, it becomes a final product. That’s one way my songs come to life. Another way is starting a song from scratch with my co-writers. I have a few people that are my go-to collaborators, but I am always open to working with new people! There’s usually no method to my process, I try to feel more, think less. Spontaneity is how my best stuff happens.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

Goldie Scott: The most difficult thing in my life feels too difficult to divulge in this brief interview, so I’ll talk more about my career struggles. Finding time to do it all. Balancing a regular job with my musical job. Finding a way to monetize the one thing on earth I truly love to do. In a time period when anyone and everyone can release music, cutting through the noise is challenging. At the end of the day, all I can do is wake up and do what I love and hope it finds and touches the right people. ✨

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

Goldie Scott: I would say, it isn’t one moment. I was petrified to perform live. I’ve always written and sang in my bedroom but having the confidence to get on stage and own the room scared the shit out of me for a while. I faced this fear and watching how much I’ve improved over the past two years has made 6 year old me the proudest little girl in the world. A few “wow” moments for me were opening up for Fitz and the Tantrums and St. Paul and the Broken Bones, performing at Fashion Week, and making it to Hollywood Week on American Idol. Even beyond those external things that made me feel like I’ve “achieved something” , the feeling of finishing a record after it’s been in the works for months or even years – that’s the best feeling in the world.