Episode Details

In this episode of Circling The Drain, we sit down with traditional country artist and former radio host Scott Southworth for a funny, heartfelt, and surprisingly deep conversation.  

Scott shares how “bad breaks” in life often led to his biggest blessings, from accidentally landing a radio show on WLAC to stumbling into a thriving traditional country career with fans across Europe. He talks about walking away from chasing radio hits, leaning into hillbilly-with-wit songwriting, and why he refuses to turn his shows into political sermons.  

You’ll hear behind-the-scenes radio stories, Merle Haggard concert etiquette, meeting legends like Dolly Parton, Aaron Neville, and John Prine, and how Scott discovered a forgotten live recording that became his new live album, “Scott Southworth and the Honky Tonk Anonymous Band.”  

If you love real-deal country, inside-radio war stories, and conversations about resilience, faith, and staying audience-focused as an artist, this episode is for you.  

01:39 Serial killer names, three-part names, and dark radio humor  

02:40 Introducing guest Scott Southworth and his bio line about writing songs and loving pie  

03:36 The great pie debate: seasonal pies, pumpkin rules, and equal-opportunity pie eating  

05:00 WLAC days, historic radio, and the roots of Nashville radio culture  

05:28 Stories from WLAC and Jimi Hendrix’s early session getting pulled from the mix  

06:45 How Scott and John really met, Christmas parties, and early Nashville connections  

08:13 Scott’s musical origin story: from rock, reggae, and blues bands to secretly writing country  

10:37 The accidental birth of The Music Row Show on WLAC  

12:26 Learning from interviewing Dolly, Little Richard, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs and more  

13:59 The inside truth about most music careers versus superstar myths  

15:20 Scott’s pivot away from writing for radio after a blunt publisher conversation  

16:21 Bro country, traditional sounds, and the one-song-a-year “just for me” demos  

16:56 How a 2016 traditional country album blew up in Europe overnight  

18:10 Hillbilly rock star in Europe, art festivals back home, and loving both worlds  

19:43 “Granny Used To Honky Tonk” and working with Dallas Moore  

20:31 The story behind “Middle Finger First” and why it resonates with drivers  

22:59 Why Scott keeps his politics off the stage and just wants to give people a break  

23:13 Protest songs, Steve Earle, and when on-stage preaching crosses the line  

24:41 Cicada Enchilada, talk radio inspiration, and writing with a Gulf Coast flavor  

26:44 Jay’s Louisiana accent, Cajun vibes, and Jim’s draw to the bayou  

28:25 New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Spanish moss, and the Neville Brothers soundtrack tip  

30:03 Meeting Aaron Neville and the infamous “shower dancers” newlywed story  

33:11 The reality of radio layoffs, Christmas-time firings, and newsroom gallows humor  

37:31 How “bad things” led Scott to his best opportunities and life philosophy for his kids  

39:41 Life is not fair, but good can come from hard times  

42:11 Dads, sons, and being tougher on the boys than the girls  

42:23 Back to Scott: career focus and a new live album on the way  

42:27 The accidental live album: finding a forgotten Dropbox file from 2022  

44:51 Capturing a raw, real band sound in a world of polished, AI-shaped music  

45:51 The Lewisville, Tennessee venue, quick sellouts, and fully engaged audiences  

47:18 Noisy crowds, Merle Haggard at the Ryman, and why Scott puts the onus on himself  

48:52 Advice to his daughter as a new indie artist and earning your scars on stage  

51:02 The bravery of just getting up and singing in tough rooms  

52:01 Being audience-focused: little me, big them, and be-them-centric