‘You have to be so comfortable with someone challenging you” – An Interview with Temme Scott
LA singer/songwriter Temme Scott has just released her incredible sophomore album A Long Year. 100% crowd-funded by fans thru Kickstarter, the record is the culmination of three years of life transitions, the most significant of which was Temme’s struggles in residential mental health treatment. One of the best records of 2024 so far, it includes alt-pop gems such as “SPACE” and “Healing,” as well as heartbreaking ballads like “Softly” and “Contract Killer.”
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. She then transferred to UCLA to pursue a degree in psychology, where she auditioned for an annual student music competition “because my friend convinced me to,” she says. 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.
Today, Scott navigates the LA music scene with the levity of someone entering a room full of old friends — usually because that’s exactly what she’s doing. She’s held multiple residencies locally in LA; in February 2020, she held a month-long stint at the Bootleg Theater, where she performed alongside a weekly lineup of local musicians. In 2023, Temme hosted a weekly series of local songwriters at Club Tee Gee. In keeping with this DIY collaborative spirit, Scott hosts Silverhouse Songs, a self-curated house show series in east LA.
In the fall of 2022, Temme routed and planned her own 25+ show house show tour across the US, visiting friends and making many new ones along the way. Then, in August of 2023, Temme successfully funded her second album via Kickstarter, 100% backed by fans, many of whom she met at previous house shows. She released her first full-length album, Trust You, Trust You in September 2020, her second EP, A Total Shame, in May 2022, and a 3rd EP July in February 2023.
Image Credit – Emily Pinto
We caught up with Temme as she prepared for the release of A Long Year for a chat about how vulnerable her songs are and the joys of house show tours.
Hi Temme! How’s everything going right now?
Things are good, kinda crazy prepping all the album release stuff, but mostly really good.
What classic album cover art is your current mood?
For some reason the only thing that comes to mind is “The Spirit Room” by Michelle Branch. Iconic. Don’t know if that counts as “classic,” but it does to me.
Have really been loving “A Long Year” – it’s a wonderful collection. Where did you write and record it?
Thank you! I wrote this album over the course of about three years, I didn’t really have a start and end date. I didn’t know I was writing an album when I started these songs, but it just kinda fell together that way – and I’m so glad. I recorded almost all of it in Highland Park in LA with my friend Elijah Wells. Some of the vocals and guitars were done in Yucca Valley near Joshua Tree.
The album title feels very appropriate after some of the things you went through last year and some of the lyrics seem very self-reflective and raw, especially the incredible “Contract Killer”. Is it difficult to be so open when it comes to writing songs?
You know, I was thinking about this the other day, specifically when it comes to performing vulnerable songs. I was at a comedy show and kept thinking to myself, “oh my god, I could NEVER do this. It’s way too revealing and there’s so many opportunities for things to go wrong!!!” Then I was like, Temme, what the hell, you do this exact same thing – just in a totally different way. Something about putting it in song form makes it so much easier to communicate for me, though. I think a lot of songwriters feel that way. We put stuff in songs we’d never really speak out loud in a normal voice.
One of the last tracks is “Healing” which is really upbeat and positive – was that one of the more recent songs you wrote?
“Healing” is actually from the beginning of 2022, right when I got out of my first stint in a treatment center. It certainly applies to multiple periods of my life, though. That song always makes me feel a little better.
You’ve been very open about your struggles with your mental health and receiving treatment – do you feel that the stigma is starting to change and that people are able to talk more freely now?
Compared to my parent’s generation, for sure. I think we still have a long way to go, though. I honestly think we all still fall victim to judging others for expressing themselves in any regard, and we could always do better.
If you could only listen to one record, what would it be?
This is an impossible question.. do you mean like, until the end of time?! I’d probably say “Little Voice” by Sara Bareilles.
What did you learn from making your first album and the EPs you’ve put out that helped when it came to recording “A Long Year”?
God, I’ve learned so many different things about making music over the years. I don’t think I’ll ever really land on anything – it’s ever changing. One thing that comes to mind is with whom to record your vocals. My producer, Elijah, definitely helped me realize how much that matters, at least for my style of music. You have to be so comfortable with someone challenging you to be more emotionally expressive, and that only really happens if they care about the music in a similar way you do.
Image Credit – Caity Krone
The record was 100% funded by fans through Kickstarter – did you feel any extra pressure because of that?
In some ways, yes. I wanted to make all the incentives extra special so everyone who donated felt appreciated. However, there was some freedom in knowing that everyone made their own decision to donate, and were pledging their support no matter what. It allowed me a lot more creative freedom than I’d previously had, so I’ll probably always feel indebted to that group of people.
I’ve loved your music ever since I heard “A Lot To Lose” in 2020 – who were your inspirations that influenced you and made you want to become a musician?
Damn, deep cut! I love that, thank you. My earliest inspirations were people like Sheryl Crow, Michelle Branch, and Taylor Swift. Nowadays, my musician friends inspire me more than anyone. Their willingness to keep going in an industry that is so frequently fighting them is crazy inspiring.
For your last EP, you did a tour of the US playing house shows – how was that experience and are you planning a tour for the new record? (Let us know if you need somewhere near Philly!)
Ah yes, house show touring is the best! It was one of the best experiences of my life, and I got to bring my best friend (my dog, Rooster) with me, so I wasn’t always lonely on the road. I met so many different people and stayed in the most random places – I wouldn’t change a thing. I’d love to tour again in that way but it’s a lot to take on by myself, so I don’t have any immediate plans. That being said, I think another Temme Scott house show tour is definitely on the horizon someday.
What would go on your signature pizza and what would it be called?
Ok – pepperoni, grilled onions, and artichoke hearts. Is that insane? I’d call it “The Boss.”
What do you have planned for 2025?
I don’t know yet! I’m taking things day by day for now until the record comes out. It’s all kinda been a sprint to get this out, and then hopefully I can take a few breaths and decide what’s next. My dream is to keep touring, as long as I can bring my dog 🙂
You can find out more about Temme and grab some merch by visiting her website and follow her on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest news.
