Temme Scott
After cutting her teeth in the industry as a teenager with her Baltimore-based band, Scott gave up pursuing music, discouraged by the inauthenticity bred by finding success at such a young age, and moved across the country to attend junior college for a few years. Taylor Emily then transferred to UCLA to pursue a degree in psychology, where she auditioned for the annual student music competition Spring Sing “because my friend told me to” she says.
Out of shyness, she created the moniker ‘Temme Scott’ for herself, a portmanteau of her first and middle names, plus her father’s name, Scott. During her senior year, Scott spent a semester abroad in Buenos Aires, where she immersed herself in the indie music scene, playing her first solo shows at cafes all around the city.
She discovered the excitement of playing live all over again, “this time more honestly,” and jumped back into action upon returning to LA. Based in Los Angeles, Scott doesn’t shy away from rawness. Her candid lyrics and folk influenced singer-songwriter melodies fuse with gritty intonation and soulful but tender vocals to reveal something hiding in plain sight. Vulnerability is her biggest strength, but she’s also, in her own words, “really just trying to have a good time.”
Who is the "human" behind the artist Temme Scott and how did you get into music?
I got into music at a young age, singing songs from Annie and the Wizard of Oz constantly at home. There was a period of time I wouldn't respond to any name besides "Dorothy" at home, ha! I just always had a knack for singing and started writing songs when I was 10 or so.
The human behind Temme is pretty similar to how I present as an artist -- I always aim to put honesty forward, often to a fault, and share what I feel like should be shared.
"One Foot In" sounds extraordinary, what was your inspiration, what's the story behind the song?
Thank you so much! I went through a really tough breakup where the person essentially cut me out of their life from one day to the next. It made it so hard to process since I was left with so little information. I wrote this song as a response to being told I always had one foot out the door.
I thought, well if I always had one foot out, that means I must still have one foot in, too. It's a song about wanting to be acknowledged, and admitting your heartbreak in the most upfront way possible.
When did you get the idea to keep the raw creativity?
As we were creating these songs, I really set time limitations for myself on purpose. I wanted these songs to come out of the most organic place possible, as to not allow myself more time than necessary to overthink them or second guess them. I thought it would be an interesting challenge to reach for the first idea on everything. This isn't to say I rushed through writing the songs -- they came out quite naturally and I didn't want to give myself time to dislike them. I thought it was the truest way to express what I was feeling at the time. It was a really wild experience, but I'm still grateful I did it that way, even when I hear mistakes or things I want to change. There's something exciting about capturing the moment and not re-working it later on.
What's your point of view to the changing climate related to the touring industry?
I think touring is financially inaccessible to so many independent artists. So many artists I know in this bracket are hardly breaking even, if not losing money. The overhead to tour is really tough, and I think it's becoming even harder these days, now that we're trying to fit two years of lost live music into one current market.
I also think the way people approach group events has changed drastically since the pandemic, and in my experience, it's harder to bring people out to things in general. I want to help other artists find a way to share their music without breaking the bank, which is why I've become quite passionate about house show touring.
You say house show touring is a great way to share music, let us know more about?
Yeah! I did a 2 month long solo house show tour this fall all across the western US and Canada. There was no venue overhead, booking fee, ticketmaster fees, etc etc. Just groups of people in a yard, and me with a small amount of equipment. It was a great way to engage with the audience in an intimate way. This cut costs significantly, and also brought more people together at each show. There's something about a house show that yields a much more social, group vibe than that of a venue. The host also has an incentive, to invite people to see you play, since they're hosting the event and want to make it feel important.
That way, the audience for the artist is essentially built in, and you don't have to spend as much time marketing the shows. It's a slow build, but I really loved it.
What do you prefer, a live gig or a studio session?
Hmmm.. both can be so fun, but I think I'd go with live. The energy of playing live is just different.
Let us know your most useful talent besides music?
Oh god! My most useful talent is probably fostering friendships. I don't know if that could be considered a talent necessarily, but I do pride myself on bringing people together and trying to be a good friend.
What’s next for you?
I'm gearing up to release the full "July" EP in early February 2023. Look out for it!
Photo credits: Aaron Phillips
