Meet Scott Slay | Band Leader for SLAY

We had the good fortune of connecting with Scott Slay and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Scott, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind my success is that I grew up learning and playing bluegrass music with my dad in bands as early as age 8. I did not just decide 5 or 10 years ago that I wanted to learn to play this music.

I remember practicing with my dad’s band on school nights with my eyes closed the entire 3 hours because I was so tired. However, in hindsight this forced me to learn all of the music by ear and feel.

Another thing that helped, was living in a Navy town. My dad was really good at scouting new bluegrass musicians who moved in and out of the Florida Panhandle. Since Pensacola and nearby Elgin both have Navy bases, we had new musicians coming in from all over for like 2 or 3 years and then they’d move on. This meant the band members in my dad’s band changed all the time, and therefore the songs we played, the keys of the songs, the general bluegrass styles changed all the time too. I got to meet a lot of musicians from all of the United States and hear stories about places they had been or performed. It made me want to travel one day.

As a kid, this was just normal to me, and it meant I learned a lot of music at performance level between ages 8 and 17 years old. All those years of traveling the Southeast coast playing mandolin in my dad’s band and all the weekly vocal band rehearsals in addition to weekly band set list rehearsals really set me up to have a great foundation for comprehending most bluegrass music (two rehearsals a week and at least one performance year-round). Because of these high expectations and experiences, learning, creating, and performing bluegrass music is natural and native for me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I grew up learning, playing, and speaking Bluegrass music the same way a child learns his or hers first home language. Collaborating through composition, arranging, or even just creative interpretation of music with other people I’ve known forever or just met today is what really drives the happiness portion of my passion. I’m here because I started at age 6 and never quit or gave anything up musically. Instead, I just added something or someone new to my musical life every single day. Parts of this journey are easy and fluid, while other parts take lots of hard work and repetitive or even just opening the mind and ears up to unheard possibilities.

I’ve learn that musicians musical vibes and personalities go hand in hand. If you want to make relaxing and chill music, you need to surround yourself with musicians who are chill and relaxed in their demeanor.

My music and my story starts on the front porch of a Florida farm house learning all the traditional bluegrass songs and repertoire. Then, it includes the Jazz and Muddy Waters influenced Jazz of the Florida Panhandle and Southwest Alabama, along with the Mountain music of Virginia and beach music of Virginia Beach, along with the fast paced hustle and bustle of Go Go from Washington D.C. and finally coming to a full circle round off on the Colorado Jamgrass scene. Come check out my band SLAY. Find us on Social Media and give us a listen. You can hear all of my influences as well as those the rest of the band contain all in a super fun collaboration of human beings.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Thursday we would drop by MainStage Brewery in Lyons for the Maingrass match up of random professional bluegrass music and enjoy one of the many craft beers alongside a very tasty slice of pizza. On Friday we’d probably hit up Cervantes or Fox Theater for a show. If we’re headed to the Fox, we would have dinner at Chicken and Post in Boulder. Saturday would be spent in Golden enjoying live bluegrass and amazing craft beer at New Terrain Brewing. Sunday, I’d probably take my friend to walk the Redrocks stadium in the mid morning and then end up at a bluegrass jam in Denver at Seedstock Brewing. On Monday, we’d grab upscale Tex Mex in Glendale at Blanco. Tuesday, we’d grab lunch at La Chiva Colombian Cuisine off South Broadway then we’d stop back in Golden for a bluegrass jam “pick” at Over Yonder Brewing. Then finally on Wednesday we’d cap off with a night cap at Tighe Brothers Distillery while listening to the local professional bluegrass player create live music on the spot with no preset plan.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve already mentioned my dad, but yeah my dad Tracy Slay was huge in getting me going with this music thing.

I’d also love to give a shout out to Burle Galloway for helping me tap into the Jamgrass scene of Colorado and worldwide. Burle is such a vibe and soul filled songwriter. He’s also just a cool dude to be around. Sometimes I play mandolin or guitar in his band Burle Galloway and the Country Angels. Other times, he will just show up and sit in with my band SLAY or maybe another band that I just happen to be playing with. He has a big influence on the Jamgrass scene. I mean he wrote the songs for the first Yonder Mountain Stringband album as well as many songs for The Infamous String Dusters, Greensky Bluegrass, Drew Emmit, and more. In fact, my band SLAY is currently working out some of his songs with plans to record in the near future.

Website: Denverbluegrass.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/slay_the_band?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScottSlayandTheRail?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Andy Reinder