Getting to Know…Scotty Mac Band

Getting to Know Q and A with Scott McLaughlin of the Scotty Mac Band

What’s your favorite kind of sandwich?
Pastrami. I don’t care whether it’s the greasy kind with mustard and pickles from The Hat or if it’s a $15 Reuben on Rye.

The Beatles or Elvis? Why?
Thats a tough question… The songwriter in me says the Beatles, but the performer side of me says The King…

Lyrics to live by?
“Above all things, if kindness is your king. Then Heaven will be yours, before you reach your end.”

“Desert Island” album?
Probably Fleetwood Mac’s “The Dance”. It’s a great live album and I grew up listening to that band. It was always on repeat on every vacation we went on. To this day it’s still my number one road trip album.

What country music artists do you listen to the most?
For new country Brad Paisley. Justin Moore, and Jason Aldean.
For classic country George Strait, Brooks/Dunn, and Garth Brooks.

How do you see country music evolving within 10 years?
It’s tough to say where it’s going to go. It’s evolved so much over the last 10 years and the more popular it gets, the more outside influence is being integrated into the sound… I thought rapping Cowboys was going to be a short lived phase…
I love the current sound of country but I would like to see the traditional country instrumentation get brought back into it and I would like to see the element of good story telling return. Right now it’s a lot of party music and that’s all good fine, every one wants to be pumped up and have a good time, but it would be nice to see the stories (happy or sad) come back.

Where do you see your musical career in 5 years?
I’m a spread the chips out across the table kind of guy. My main focus is performance so I plan on getting onto bigger stages and touring, but Id also like to be involved in song writing and production when I have some down time from playing.

Are there any instruments you don’t play but wish you did? Why?
Pedal Steel… It’s a really difficult instrument to learn but they sound so cool.

What was the best advice you have received?
In regards to being a musician for a living? If you’re going to do it, you have to give it everything you have got. Nothing comes before it. It’s not easy and it’s not always fun.

Where does most of your inspiration come from?
Things I see around me, whether it’s my own experiences or those of people I know.

What do you consider to be your first big break in your career so far?
So far would be the Summer schedule we have a head of us. Our first big booking was to be the opening act at Night in the Country Festival in Nevada. We are the main stage opening act for Jake Owen, Joe Nichols, and Cam. That one show has snowballed into a lot of other wonderful opportunities.

What does “California Country” mean to you?
For me it means attitude. Despite the fact that some huge and influential artists have come from California, people seem to not take California country artists seriously. So when we go out on stage, we swing for the fences to make a point to the fans that great country music can come out of California and it doesn’t necessarily have to sound watered down.

What’s on the horizon for you that you would like to share?
I’ll be playing at Verizon Wireless this Summer. Two hour acoustic set on the VIP side stage for the Darius Rucker/Brett Eldredge tour.

The Scotty Mac Band is another local, Southern California country band. I thoroughly enjoy finding talented, local artists to support. If you are in the area there is no excuse in missing this band because they have been everywhere lately and will continue to be throughout the summer!

You can download The Scotty Mac Bands‘ EP Messing Around on iTunes and Amazon.