Meet Scott Slay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Slay.

Scott, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began my bluegrass journey as a kid playing mandolin in bands with my dad on the East Coast. Later in my adult life, I played as a sideman and harmony singer with various bluegrass groups along the East Coast.

Eventually, I joined an Americana band with Lonesome River Band’s leader and banjo player Sammy Shelor. I was living in D.C. at the end of this band’s existence. I decided to record and perform my original music with Sammy, bassist Mark Schatz, Cory Chubb, and others in the DMV.

When I moved to Denver, I had just released an album called The Rail and had left my former band Scott Slay and the Rail in the DMV. So, I started going to bluegrass jams or “picks” in Denver where I eventually met the current members: Evan Gohring Bass, Pete Weber Mandolin, Eve Panning Fiddle, and Chris Rozell banjo. I’m currently singing lead and playing mostly guitar in this version of the band.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every time I move to a new place, I have to leave a solid fan base and group of band members to start all over. However, I met a ton of new interesting and amazing people at every stop. I’ve lived in five different states in the recent past. I hope to really become a part of the Denver scene in the upcoming year.

Can you give our readers some background on your music?
We specialize in performing original bluegrass music alongside some mash grass, contemporary bluegrass, newgrass, and other forms of Americana music. Last summer we had an amazing time performing for the good folks of Rockygrass and took home the 2nd place ribbon. The summer before we were also finalist in the Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition. I was very proud of our performance and general vibe at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s showcase 2019. I think that our ability to play the hard-driving mash grass sound authentically and then also paying tribute to newgrass greats like Sam Bush, while still sharing our own original music provides a definite distinction of our bluegrass from others. While we all enjoy so many different genres and vibes of music, we are also well versed and grounded in the solid groove of contemporary bluegrass. All of our musical interest come out naturally in our live performance.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I was able to play a show with Sammy Shelor on banjo and my dad on dobro. My father is the one who got me started playing music. His hero and favorite banjo player is Sammy Shelor. This southern boy from Pensacola, FL was able to cross paths with a Virginia Country music hall of Famer and bring dad along for the ride. It felt like what I think a full circle should feel like.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.denverbluegrass.com
• Email: scott@scottslay.com

Image Credit:
Photo Credit to Eddie Williams

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