Grammy winning songwriter, singer, and filmmaker, Scot Sax announces his latest musical endeavor, Mr. Chocolate.
The songs that comprise Mr. Chocolate draw inspiration from David Bowie and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Sax incorporates strange synthesizer sounds, big, fuzzy guitars with melodic bass lines and grooving drums on Mr. Chocolate’s debut. Lyrically, his songs touch on fatherhood, “Two Under Two,” lost friendship, “Not Gonna Hate You Anymore” and the current state of the world through the lens of an adolescent with, “The World is a Teenage Bedroom.”
In the last three years alone, Sax has made the documentary Platinum Rush, published his children’s book The Mosquito and The Bumble Bee, started a podcast with neighbor and songwriter Steve Poltz, relocated from Philadelphia to Nashville with his singer/cardiologist wife Suzie Brown and become a dad to Josephine and Chloe.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Scot Sax about motivations, challenges, the Mr. Chocolate project and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I was born at Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia. With that name, they really raised the bar a little high, don’t you think? The music that seems to come out of nowhere is usually a musical response to whatever the last thing I heard was. Like If i hear a power ballad on the radio I write a punk song.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
I had a job once. I was supposed to sit on a swivel chair 8 hours a day and “work”. But all i did was spin around and round on the swivel chair. I thought :if i can have a job that feels half as fun as swiveling round and round but with interesting people around me, that would be the job for me”. I never wanted to be like anyone else. Except people that were not like anyone else. Like Mick Jagger or Kesha.
How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
I set out to have zero financial motivation. Which is quite easy these days, of course. I call myself a “non-profit” musician. But to be fair, I never made music for any other reason but for the sheer euphoric feeling of having created something that didn’t exist just minutes before. That has always and will always blow my mind. Owning something you didn’t buy.
Do you face challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? How has technology helped you (assuming it helps)?
I love to make something and out it out in the world the same day. Technology and I get along in that way.
Where can we connect with you online and discover more music?
- https://scotsax.bandcamp.com/album/mr-chocolate
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=OxERvTKVhbk
- www.scotsax.com
Anything else before we sign off?
Where is the rest room?
