Interview: Scout Paré-Phillips
Scout Paré-Phillips is a singer-songwriter from New York. She trained in a classical voice program as a young girl and still has remnants of that operatic soprano sound, blended with a deep country croon inspired by her father, who was a country musician. She now writes and plays darker, heavier music on her custom baritone guitar by Cindy Hulej of Carmine Street Guitars, culminating in her third full-length solo LP, Lupine Daughter. This new album explores themes of grief, illness, and addiction. Scout is also known for her post-punk country band The Sterling Sisters, a project with George Cessna, and for performing with Jack White.
What inspires your music?
Coping with illness, loss of loved ones, and navigating family dynamics of addiction.
Who are some of your influences?
Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, Roy Orbison, Beth Gibbons, Rowland S. Howard, Neko Case, Richard and Linda Thompson, Grace Slick
What are some of your favorite memories from your career?
The most surreal moment I've had onstage was singing with Jack White playing Red Rocks during a thunderstorm - that is seared into my memory. I've never seen so many people in an audience. It was a revelatory experience, seeing how people connected with the music and the musicians persevered over the weather conditions. Otherwise, the most joy I've experienced performing was singing alongside my collaborator, George Cessna, in our band The Sterling Sisters, who appears on my new album as well. The freest and most genuine I've felt performing is with my current band lineup playing Lupine Daughter around New York City. There are so many intense emotions in these songs. I almost never stop singing, and I'm really fortunate to have such great friends and musicians onstage with me to support the arrangements.
Which of your projects do you love the most?
Lupine Daughter is by far my favorite music I've made because I did not hold back anything in the arrangements. It was my first time self-producing an album with no input from a label or any budgetary target, so I followed what felt right, and decided instinctually when to stop overdubbing. I layered vocal harmonies for instance, which was not sometime I explored much, previously. I was no longer concerned with touring as a solo act and feeling self-conscious the record would sound overly arranged, in comparison to how people heard me play if I were along onstage. Now I have a solid array of musicians in my band and I feel there's even more power live to the songs, despite missing an overdub here and there.
Who are some of the collaborators who helped you create your favorite works?
Jeff Berner is a longtime collaborator, my engineer who recorded my second album, Door Left Open, and mixed and overdubbed guitar for Lupine Daughter.
George Cessna is my vocal soulmate who I'm so grateful joined me to sing again on this record.
The wildly talented Josh Bonati has mastered and lathe cut pretty much all of my records, and is always a pleasure to work with.
Dais Records released my first two full-length solo LPs and generally took exceptional care of me early in my career.
Cindy Hulej is my luthier who made my custom baritone for the record, whose friendship I cherish, and takes care of all of my band's equipment needs.
What are you most excited to bring to your fans next?
I'm excited to work on my fourth full-length album, following a similar workflow that allows me to take my time on arrangements and source the right friends to play in the studio. I wrote the album in 2024 and look forward to shifting my focus back to those songs, now that Lupine Daughter is out.
What are your goals for this upcoming year?
My goals for this upcoming year are to begin rehearsals with my New York City band to work out LP4, as well as secure booking agents to assist with United States and Europe touring. We've had a few tour offers, but I frankly feel too old to do all of the logistics myself anymore. And I'd need to figure out a healthier, more comfortable way to tour to support living with my autoimmune condition and taking care of my bandmates -- gone are the days of piling into a car and eating at gas stations (thankfully).
How can your fans and our readers best support you right now?
To support me most directly, please buy Lupine Daughter on vinyl from scoutparephillips.bandcamp.com
