Interview: Royal Scene
Scott Owens Discusses Their New EP, 'Twenty Summers'
What started out as a Replacements cover band has grown into one of the most solid alt pop/rock bands around.
“Since we all loved and were influenced by The Replacements, it made sense. Let's try and make the same noise that we love,” said Scott Owens, guitarist/vocalist for Royal Scene. The Lansing, Michigan band’s line up also includes Blair Darling (bass), Randy Farlin (drums), Tim Marzorati (vocals/guitar), and Marc Nischan (vocals/guitar).
“We have three songwriters/contributors/collaborators in the band. All five of us go back decades and have played and written together from the start. Different bands and line-ups formed, broke up, reformed, etc. So, songwriting has always been a passion and a goal,” Owens told me for the interview below.
Royal Scene’s excellent new EP, Twenty Summers, grabs you by the throat from the opening guitar riff and doesn’t let go until you’ve experienced their faithful—but more rocking—cover of “Never Let Me Down Again.”
From The Replacements to Depeche Mode? Listen to tracks like “Can’t Get Started” and “Hanging On,” or the idiosyncratic early ‘80s-influenced pop of “What The Hell,” and it all makes sense. Even then, you’re only scratching the surface of inspirations woven into this 6-song collection and their impressive catalog.
“My parents were young (and I'm kinda old) so I heard ‘classic rock’ in the early-to-mid ‘70s as it was happening. I need to say that KISS probably drove my rock star aspirations as a youngster. My grandparents were musicians so I was exposed to jazz and show tunes as well. West Side Story kills me every time,” Owens told me.
I caught up with Owens by email as the band prepares for the official release of Twenty Summers on July 19 from Phonophore Records.
Scott Owens Interview
I'm loving the new EP. Can you tell me a little about how these songs were written and recorded?
Scott Owens: The writing process is likely different for each of us and I can only speak for myself. Since there's no pressure to write and perform or release recordings, it's a pretty organic process. If an idea strikes, follow it. We usually present demos as opposed to jamming in rehearsals. Some of the demos are skeletal, or just sections or ideas, and we hope that it might inspire someone else to continue or add to it. Some are fleshed out, more or less complete. Twenty Summers was a result of enough decent ideas to warrant fine tuning arrangements and getting into the studio.
I am generally the ‘producer’ of the recordings and have an idea of which sounds, recording techniques, gear, tracking schedules, mix decisions, etc. we ultimately go with. I've worked with my long time friend and engineer/studio owner Ryan Wert at Elm Street Recording in Lansing, MI for years. That's where we tracked and mixed. An old buddy of mine named Jim Diamond mastered it.
Is it true that Royal Scene got its start as a Replacements cover band?
Scott Owens: Yes, we put together a Replacements cover band called 'Bastards of Young' and had a blast for a couple of years before circling back to writing, recording, and performing original material again. The whole idea came from Tim (whom I played with in a band called 19 Wheels). Neither of us were really active after that band broke up. (Well, I was in a band called Days of Radio for a minute after taking a few years off…)
Anyway, he suggested putting something together that would be low/no pressure—a cover band focused on one artist. His first suggestion was to play Uncle Tupelo tunes. (A mutual influence.) I suggested The Replacements. We recruited the rest of the guys (the ones we knew or shared musical interests and careers with—the other band being The dts) and got our shit together.
I definitely hear The Mats influence throughout these six tracks. Who are some of your other major influences?
Scott Owens: My influences? The Beatles, The Who, The Cars, Cheap Trick, The Replacements, Husker Du, The Cure, U2, REM, Uncle Tupelo, Weezer, Dinosaur Jr., Fountains of Wayne, Superdrag. So many. Those likely informed my songwriting style. Though the more contemporary bands didn't so much influence my style, I love to listen to them and they were probably influenced by the same legacy bands I was!
The other guys in the band will have different stories and experiences, obviously.
The opening guitar riff (and that drum fill!) on "Can't Get Started" really grab you by the throat. What was the inspiration for that one?
Scott Owens: ‘Can't Get Started’ began with my idea for, what is now, the verse. Marc came up with the opening riff. I suggested the drums follow the riff to add some weight and impact and to play the Keith Moon stuff into the verse. Randy, our drummer, kinda killed it I think. Oh, and I'm a big hand clap fan!
Speaking of guitar riffs, the lead line on "Hanging On" has a real Sugar feel to it. Was that one originally written on acoustic guitar?
Scott Owens: Good ear on this one! I would say that ‘If I Can't Change Your Mind’ definitely puts its stamp on the intro/post chorus/outro melody and feel. I usually write in my head before picking up an instrument. For some reason, I have a knack for being able to piece together pitches and rhythms that way. Once an idea comes, then I'll grab a guitar (usually electric) to flesh it out. (As opposed to noodling around first.)
We do wear our influences on our sleeves, but never intentionally so. If something is too similar, it won't make it far in the first place. If it's a ‘nod’ it’s like ‘What the hell. Why not?’ Actually, the pre-chorus in ‘Can't Get Started’ owes a bit to ‘Surrender.’ We recognized it immediately. It's not like we don't realize what we're doing. It's just that, if it brings us joy and satisfaction, we're gonna roll with it.
"What The Hell" has a different feel than the other tracks. Did you take a different approach to writing that one?
Scott Owens: This song came from Marc. We're a bit schizophrenic as a band. Three writers, three lead vocalists (well, maybe two and a half—me being the ‘half’). I like to think that whatever we do sounds like ‘us’ even if there's a stylistic anomaly once in a while. It's all about the song. Always. If a cool one comes up, we'll try to make it the best it can be regardless of whether it fits or not.
Our two previous releases, Meet You at the End and Dose both have slightly out of character tracks. (Also, The Replacements vibe is even more prominent on the earlier releases comparatively.) Marc wrote a song called ‘I've Got a Crush’ and Tim came up with a cool idea called ‘The Locusts and the Fireman.’ ‘Fireman’ is waaay out there, but it was a wonderful opportunity to stretch our creativity, especially production-wise. Very rewarding.
I was surprised to hear your faithful cover of Depeche Mode's "Never Let Me Down Again." What made you choose that track to close out the EP?
Scott Owens: The cover is not something we would have chosen for a release of this type. It was solicited as a submission for a Depeche Mode cover compilation that never came to be. We had already finished the track before the project got axed. Again, it was an opportunity to step outside our comfort zone as far as source material (though we are DM fans).
I agree it's pretty faithful in terms of melodic elements, though we did make some changes in the rhythmic structures and patterns and used ‘rock and roll’ instrumentation while calling on certain familiar production elements (gated reverb on the snare, gobs of reverb and delay, effected guitar and bass sounds, etc.) that we aren't usually associated with.
Any plans to tour for the new EP?
Scott Owens: No touring. We'll likely play a handful of sporadic shows in the Fall. When we were all coming up, the process of writing, recording, and performing was a means to an end, a goal, a reward. Maybe the goal was to get invited to play bigger, sexier venues and tours. Maybe the reward was a record or publishing contract.
We all had those experiences to varying degrees. Been there, done that. Now, the process itself is the reward. The camaraderie, the writing, the rehearsing, the recording, even the art and design... We only wish for people to hear what we do and, hopefully, dig it.
What would I be listening to if I got in the van with you guys?
On a hypothetical tour, we would probably be listening to NPR in the van.
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