A Conversation with American Idol Winner, Scotty McCreery – HuffPost 10.14.11
Mike Ragogna: Scotty, hi.
Scotty McCreery: Hey there, Michael, how are you doing?
MR: I’m doing pretty well, thanks. Your new album Clear As Day just hit #1 in Billboard, and it features some very personal songs that seem to fit you perfectly. How did you choose the batch?
SM: Well, we had a lot of songwriters in Nashville that were writing songs for us. We actually had a big meeting there when I went for Fan Fest, and we were telling them what we were looking for, and the types of songs we wanted. After that, we had a couple of writers that were writing specifically for me, and they sent some songs our way and they were perfect. They were written just for me; it was beautiful.
MR: You’re pretty young but with that deep voice, you sound like an old soul.
SM: That kind of happened with the music I grew up listening to. Elvis (Presley) was a big influence on me, and then I listened to old country like Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, and Johnny (Cash) and all of those guys. So, it was in my blood as a small child.
MR: Hey, you just became legal.
SM: I turned 18 on Sunday.
MR: Congratulations. Happy Birthday.
SM: Thank you so much!
MR: Okay, lyrically, these are pretty rich songs. Did you find yourself especially immersed in these songs?
SM: For me, it’s a lot about the song and about what you’re saying. You have to look at the song and think, “Is this me? Is this who I am? Is this something I want to sing about?” A lot of the songs on the album are about my life, and life before and after Idol. Those lyrics really meant a lot to me, and as I sang them, I could feel it.
MR: We know you’re sensitive guy, but on some of the more fun songs, you dabble with the silly too.
SM: Definitely, I’m a silly guy, so I have to have some fun with the songs.
MR: The title track, “Clear As Day,” is my personal favorite, it being about a relationship beginning with an incredible night that you’ll always remember, well, “clear as day.” But then tragedy happens. How did that affect you when you heard that song for the first time?
SM: Well, they played it for us without telling us there is that twist at the end, so, of course, we were really into it with the relationship thing, and then it took that turn for the worst at the end and ripped my heart out. For me, the county next to mine there is a really high fatality rate for teenagers in car accidents, so I knew a lot of those kids and I knew a lot of friends of those kids. That was a personal thing that I could really relate to, it was definitely one of those songs.
MR: The album is comprised of many story songs, some about young relationships. And there are songs like “Water Tower Town,” which is a take on small towns. It seems like it’s from personal experience.
SM: That’s the way I grew up and the towns around me. The water tower in my town was right across the train tracks from the baseball field I grew up playing at. Of course, when I’m singing that, I’m seeing those things in my head, and it really speaks to me.
MR: Speaking of baseball, you have a little announcement relative to major league baseball.
SM: Yeah, I’m singing the national anthem at Game 1 of The World Series. That will be quite an experience for me as a huge baseball fan, I’m pretty pumped about it.
MR: Are you a huge baseball fan?
SM: Oh yeah, I’m definitely a huge baseball fan, I grew up playing ball, and my dad played in college and throughout his life, so he passed that on to me. I have two loves growing up–singing and baseball, so it’s cool to do this.
MR: How early did you start singing?
SM: I don’t remember not singing. My mom says I was humming when I was one; I would hum to the doctor. I’ve just been singing my whole life and it’s always been a part of me and who I am.
MR: Churches? Band? School?
SM: Yeah, I did churches. I did a contest in 2009 called Clayton Idol, and that was the town next to mine. That opened the door to sing at places, and different small venues and I could go out and play. That got me the opportunity to sing outside of church and get some more stage presence and get more comfortable on stage.
MR: “The Trouble With Girls” is going to be the new single?
SM: Yes sir, we put that out a few weeks ago and it’s been cool to see how it’s been going. It’s a really cool song, it’s a really sweet song and I’m glad we got to put it out.
MR: My favorite line? “They steal you with ‘hello,’ and they kill you with ‘goodbye.'”
SM: Yeah, those two lines really speak to what a lot of guys have felt. It’s one of those songs that really make you think, and one of those songs a lot of people have been through and a lot of people have thought those thoughts. That’s why I think it’s relatable to me and a lot of the people listening.
MR: And there’s your album opener, “Out Of Summertime,” about having a great time and realizing you’ve run literally out of summer, although it’s also a nice metaphor.
SM: It was towards the end of summer, it was initially going to be the first single but we switched it around later on. It’s another one of those fun songs that we enjoy doing.
MR: When you’re listening to the lyrics to some of these songs, are you not only searching for ways to integrate them, but are you changing some of the songs to make them that much more personal?
SM: There were a couple of times we would be singing and recording in the studio. I remember looking up at the producer and saying, “Why don’t we try some different things?” or “Do ‘this’ instead of ‘that.'” We did it, and it made the album; that was one of those things where it came from feeling it. It was cool for me to be able to do that, and it was cool for us to be able to do it to the songs, and the songs were really cool already.
MR: Who produced the album?
SM: Mark Bright, he was the producer of Carrie Underwood’s records and he did some stuff with Rascal Flatts.
MR: What’s the dynamic between you guys in the studio?
SM: It was fun, we had a good time. He’s a genius and he knows what he’s talking about, he’s been around for so long. So, it was nice for me to learn from him, while we’re having fun and having a good time recording these songs.
MR: Another great song on Clear As Day is “Dirty Dishes.” I want to read the chorus prayer from the person who’s your mother in this song. “I want to thank you Lord for noisy children and slamming doors, clothes scattered all over the floor. A husband working all the time, dragging in dead tired at night, never ending messy kitchen and dirty dishes.” It’s a beautiful thing, to appreciate what you’ve got.
SM: Definitely, that’s what it’s all about. Looking at those things that you’re annoyed by and take for granted, but they all mean something good about the family. At the end, it says, “Noisy kids are happy kids, and slamming doors means we’re in a loving home.” It’s a cool way to look at life.
MR: Is that song a snapshot of your own life?
SM: Oh, definitely, that song spoke a lot to us. Especially with this Idol thing, we really haven’t sat down as a family around the dinner table like we normally got to do a lot. So, that really struck a chord with us as a family, because we’ve lived it.
MR: It’s almost like the “Part 2” to “Dirty Dishes” is “Back On The Ground”–getting caught up with your mom, getting your feet back on the ground, family being an important thing to you.
SM: Definitely, that song really speaks to my life after Idol. I’ve been so busy and doing so many different things at once. It’s nice to every now and then go home and be normal. That song speaks to me and getting back and putting my feet back on the ground.
MR: There’s pre-Idol, Idol, and there’s post-Idol Scotty. You’ve been in contests and trying to have a career in music from such a young age. Did that make you more ambitious?
SM: We were always doing those competitions and we were out in the community singing. It definitely made me want to do this music thing a whole lot more, and being able to get up there and sing, that’s what it’s all about. It’s about the music. That, right there, was just a cool thing for us. It was something I wanted to pursue, and luckily, American Idol made that happen.
MR: During the American Idol process, as much fun as that might be, I can imagine it can be incredibly stressful too. How did you hold up during the process?
SM: Yeah, well the talent this year was incredible, so there was definitely some stiff competition. It was definitely a pressure cooker, that’s something the general public doesn’t know. But we’re working 7 days a week, all hours of the day making sure we had songs right, doing different video things for the show, or different interviews. It was a fun way to break into the business, because it gave us a boot camp of what this business is really all about. It was tough, but it got all of us ready.
MR: When you won, what was that moment like?
SM: It was incredible, I can’t pinpoint one emotion I was feeling, but it was one of the things I will never forgot.
MR: Since you just turned 18 the other day and you already have this brand new album. How’s it all feeling?
SM: It’s been pretty amazing getting off of Idol and getting to do some of the other stuff I get to do, and singing at the Grand Ole Opry. I’ve gotten to do a lot of amazing things. It’s just amazing–words can’t describe how grateful I am, and how thankful I am that this is my life now.
MR: Scotty, what advice do you have for new artists?
SM: Just stay true to yourself, don’t let the music business or people that are trying to influence you make you change who you are and what you want to sing about. Stick to your guns and be you.
Transcribed by Theo Shier