Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Cleary.
Scott, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in New Zealand. I grew up between the beach and the farm, in various small towns before our family settled in Auckland in my early teens. My parents bought me a guitar when I was 12 or something. I always loved music, but I didn’t really take to lessons and the guitar never held my attention for too long. My limited skills got me into a band with some friends when I was 18, and it quickly became a big part of my life. That band (Kingston) eventually made it’s way to America – And while most of the band became very attached to New York, I felt LA was more my pace. I met my wife Stephanie – An LA native – and I’ve been here ever since. Six years and counting.
Has it been a smooth road?
All in all, I’d say it’s been fairly smooth. Partly because I’ve always had plenty going on aside from music. It’s eased that pressure for success. I’m a designer and art director by day so I’ve never had to take on the role of the struggling artist. The downside to that is music can take the backseat when life is busy. Since starting And That, I feel the hunger for music coming back. It was my who life in my early 20’s – So it feels good to be spending more time on it.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the And That story. What should we know?
And That started last year as a collection of songs/ideas I’d been holding on to that didn’t fit into any other projects. My wife always gave me a hard time about never writing a song about her – So when I decided to finally finish some of those ideas, I chose to right them ALL about her. I played the demos to my friend Zac Farro, who offered to produce and release the EP on his label Congrats Records. Bringing these ideas hidden on my computer to fruition was the birth of And That. Overall, I wanted it to feel care-free and uncomplicated – Love and relationships aren’t always easy, but when they are it just feels good. This kind of became the mantra for the project and the EP as a whole – Easy, cafe-free, feel-good and uncomplicated.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The music industry has seen huge shifts in the last few years with streaming platforms etc. Also, the ability to record your own music is getting cheaper and easier all the time. It’s hard to say what will happen or how it will affect artists – one thing is for sure – There’s still amazing music being made and released all the time regardless of trends or behind the scenes industry change.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.andthatmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_andthat/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4k6GJ3Cj2nSf2Pkkjh5Hap?si=GyWT2Y2rRCae4oEktteepw
Image Credit:
Zac Farro
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