CLN Insider: Songwriter Scott Sean White

“Hi, my name is Scott Sean White and nobody’s ever heard of me, I heard you can help with that!” is how Scott used to introduce himself on email when building his team for this record.

Releasing his debut solo project April 23rd, White has been writing over the last 17 years with notable songwriters such as Tony Lane (I Need You – Tim McGraw, Faith Hill) and Cody Johnson to name a few. Down to earth and one of the most genuine musicians you’ll ever speak with, Scott is well on his way to creating music that’s meant to make its listeners feel something.

“In 2007 I got my first publishing deal. I look back now and realize I wasn’t ready for that… I accidentally wrote a good song once in a while and was way out of my league. It’s been a long road to get to the point I’m at now, there’s no shortcut to writing Nashville-level songs, there’s still days that are intimidating. I remember going home in the beginning and telling my wife that I was both intimidated and inspired. My songs weren’t anything in the vicinity of the music I was hearing, which just pushed me to be better. You’ve gotta go in knowing that you have something to learn.”

White says that his goals with this record are “songwriter goals.” “I wanted to put out something that’s authentically me. Sometimes you gotta wash the Nashville off your soul and write something different, not what everyone is telling you to write. There are hit songs and there are great songs, and they’re not always the same thing, but I want to write great songs.”

“Some songwriters spend precious time struggling to find their truth and make it rhyme. Others just pick up their guitar and tell it. Scott Sean White is one of the others.” – Jack Ingram

I was sitting on my porch in Poetry, Texas, banging on my guitar, not trying to write a song, when this line popped in my head out of the blue: “They got married by Elvis in a drive thru chapel in Vegas.” It was interesting. I thought to myself, “Hmmmm I wonder what THAT’S about??” Sounded like a cool, crazy couple who probably didn’t have a chance in hell of making it. So I started running down that road, telling this couple’s story as it unfolded in my head.  

At my live shows, I like to say that I accidentally wrote this song about my wife and I because during the course of writing the song, I wasn’t really thinking about us. We were “making up” this eccentric couple. But it must’ve been swirling in my spirit because if you take the fanciful details away… it’s us. Like, we didn’t get married by Elvis in a drive thru chapel in Vegas… but we did get pregnant while we were dating. Ouch. That is definitely NOT the recommended way to start a long term relationship if you want it to have a prayer of making it last. But, by the GRACE of God, and the grace of my wife, here we are… married for over 30 years now and together for over 31.  

Also, we didn’t sell everything, buy an RV, and start a bluegrass band like the couple did in the second verse of the song but… I have gotten to live a life of music, in no small part, because Brenda has not only supported me in it, she has pushed me and carried me through it. Between a big wedding/party band, songwriting, production, arrangement, and being a studio engineer – I have managed to make a living doing JUST music since 1995. 

Now… there is one detail about the couple in the song that IS true of Brenda and me. It’s the part where the guy sells cars. THAT’S HOW I MET MY WIFE!!! I WAS SELLING CARS!! And I sold her a car at Toyota Town in Dallas in 1989!! I like to say that I sold her a car and a family for $314/month – she just didn’t read the fine print! Haha! But the wildest thing about that is that I didn’t consciously put that detail in the song. Matter of fact – it wasn’t until the first time I played the song out live that – as I sang that lyric – I realized “Hey – I sold Brenda a car! How about that?” Crazy, right? 

Hey – crazy’s only crazy til it works!

Follow Scott Sean White on his Website, Instagram, Facebook and Spotify.