NASHVILLE |FROM: TODD BRODGINSKI/LATHUM NELSON
SCOTT GRIMES
RELEASES ‘LIVIN’ ON THE RUN’ ON VELOCITY ENTERTAINMENT;
FIRST SINGLE ‘SUNSET BLVD.’ HEATING UP CHARTS;
ROLE ON “ER” EVOLVING
“Actors are very insecure, and musicians, onstage, are not. So the confidence I have in music I try to bring to my film, TV and stage roles. It’s two different worlds, and they both blend into me. I write about experiences in the world. An actor doesn’t write about what he goes through.”
That’s what SCOTT GRIMES recently told Radio & Records magazine about how his lives as both a singer/songwriter/musician and a successful TV and film actor intersect–or don’t intersect. GRIMES has just released his second album,LIVIN’ ON THE RUN (February 22 on Velocity Entertainment)–a stirring mix of impassioned vocals, vivid lyrics and shimmering guitars–while the first single “Sunset Blvd.” garners radio play nationwide and is crossing over to Hot AC now. The album–featuring 14 songs written by GRIMES–was recorded in Los Angeles at Capitol Records and was produced by Tom Fletcher (Yes, Infectious Grooves) with orchestration by the esteemed Paul Buckmaster.
LIVIN’ ON THE RUN showcases GRIMES’ passion for the craft of great singer/songwriters, with a rock sensibility. “I wanted to write what my version of what ‘modern classic rock’ would be,” the Massachusetts native says. “I’m big on melodies and the unforgettable music that you can hear once or twice and know it. I definitely took what I learned from the greats and incorporated it into my own sound.” In an 8-star (out of ten) review in Music Connection (2/27/05), Scott Perham said the album “features the modern rock sensibility of Train blended into the radio-friendly pop-rock style of artists like John Waite and Bryan Adams. Combining this marketable medley with solid songwriting, crisp, clean vocals and universally relatable lyrics, LIVIN’ ON THE RUN presents the potential to climb to the top…with some serious velocity.” FMQB also weighed in (1/12/05), saying “So you’re thinking to yourself, oh great another actor turned singer. Well think again…Musically it’s right in the pocket and chock full of melody, while Grimes delivers an exceptional vocal performance.”
A guitarist and pianist since his childhood, GRIMES has found tremendous success as an actor on “Band of Brothers” (he played Sgt. Donald Malarkey) as well as Dr. Archie Morris on “ER” but music has always been his first love. “Piano was first, and it just came naturally to me,” says GRIMES. “We always had a piano in the house, but my dad was a folk guitar player, so I picked that up next. I was so impatient and didn’t want to take lessons so I just taught myself, which I wouldn’t recommend to anyone.” His first CD was released in 1989, but he caught the acting bug and landed roles on shows like “Party Of Five” and “Who’s The Boss” plus films including “Crimson Tide” and “Mystery, Alaska.”
Throughout the years in front of the camera, GRIMES never abandoned his first love, and kept writing songs. LIVIN’ ON THE RUN reflects many of the songwriter’s first-hand life experiences. “I rarely write metaphorically,” he says. “But these aren’t ‘stories’ like in the country music tradition—these are about the towns I’ve passed through rather than the ones I’ve lived in. A lot of them start with stories about people I know, then evolve into fiction.” The track “Rock ‘n Roll Girl,” for example, began as a story about his sister in Boston, and morphed into a song about the desperation and seedy living in Hollywood.
LIVIN’ ON THE RUN is the debut project for the Beverly Hills-based Velocity Entertainment, which was founded by veteran music industry executives Russ Regan and Kent Jacobs. The label will be distributed by Rykodisc/Warner.
Check out www.scottgrimes.com for photos, news and soundclips.
Track listing:
“Livin’ On The Run”
“Sunset Blvd.”
“I Saw You”
“Best Days Of My Life”
“You Come Around”
“Carrie”
“I Wanna Be There”
“Summerthing”
“There Ain’t Nothin’”
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Girl”
“Around and Around”
“Without You”
“Hollywood Sign”
“Four-Piece Band (Those Were the Days)”
“Finale”
###
