Hear Ray Scott Self-Medicate in Moody New Song ‘Livin’ This Way’
In 2015, traditional-country vocalist Ray Scott – known for songs like “My Kind of Music” and “Those Jeans,” and a striking Johnny Cash baritone – released the dark drinking ballad “Ain’t Always Thirsty,” off his self-titled album. Now, he follows up the song with another equally pained slice of classic country: “Livin’ This Way.” The new single is the first taste of Scott’s next LP, Guitar for Sale. (Listen to the premiere of “Livin’ This Way” below.)
“Livin’ This Way” is a dark bit of honest truth based on a rough period of my life,” Scott tells Rolling Stone Country. “I think it’s something many can relate to, and a great way to introduce listeners to my most diverse and energetic album to date. It’s still plenty country, but more designed to be reminiscent of the music that shaped me in the beginning.”
For those who lament the modernization of country music, Scott is a welcome throwback to a time when drinking songs were about hard liquor, not spiced whiskeys, and when heartbreak was dealt with not by tweeting a sad-face emoji, but by taking a trip off the deep end.
“I know this guy right down the road who’s got my medicine,” he sings in “Livin’ This Way.” “I don’t believe in letting life weigh down my mind / so when mine gets heavy I know a way to make it light.”
Scott will hit the road next month for a string of shows throughout the south, including one with Billy Joe Shaver in Macon, Georgia. Guitar for Sale is available for preorder now and will be released June 9th.