Features

Former Rufio frontman Scott Sellers has been building quite a body of work with a steady stream of solo albums. We caught up with him to talk about his latest album 'One and, and, and, and One and, and Three and, and,' which is out now on Double Helix Records. If you like melodic punk, do yourself a favor and give the album a spin!

PRT: You have been cranking out a steady stream of solo albums since 2018. Why did you first decide to record a solo album?

Scott: I started writing and recording one day and just haven't stopped. It was a new and awesome feeling writing solo- no conflicting opinions. No plans for tours. NOTHING aside from just recording ideas that pop into my head. I can do whatever I want, even if I know it's stupid (like the new album title). So, for now, writing and recording is just a hobby I fully enjoy doing. 

PRT: You write, record, and perform every instrument on your solo albums. Was that approach born out of necessity, preference, or something else?

Scott: It started out of boredom. I started recording songs alone to pass the time. It kind of took me back to when I just loved to write songs, play guitar, make melodies, and not really care about anything else. There isn't really any necessity. No need to record. No quotas to meet. No humans to please. I write for me now. If anyone likes it, then that's awesome. 

PRT: When someone from the punk scene releases a solo album, it is more often than not an acoustic album. Was that ever on the table?

Scott: I made an acoustic album of both Rufio and solo songs. Nothing is off the table. If I want to record a country song, I'll record a country song...but I don't want to record a country song....yet. =P

PRT: What are the creative pros and cons of working completely solo?

Scott: Cons- I'm stuck with my ideas alone. It's always nice to have ideas outside of my own brain...unless I don't like the ideas. Pros- I'm stuck with my ideas alone! It's a bit freeing to just write whatever I want to without anyone's opinion. I made it a point to point out (to myself) when a song, or part of a song, is bad (to me). It took a while for me to start admitting when something I wrote sucks, but that's been another awesome experience that has come from writing solo jams. 

PRT: Without a live band, touring these albums becomes difficult. Have you considered forming a backing band? Or are you happy to have this just be a studio project?

Scott: I have no plans to tour or play live. I don't even want to. Not even a little bit. I don't want music to turn into work again. 

PRT: The songs on the new album dive deep into themes like mental health, anxiety, and depression. Has songwriting always been your personal therapy sessions?

Scott: Not always. It's become my personal therapy sessions when I started writing solo songs. I never talked much about mental health with Rufio. I feel like those songs were surface level. Material things. As I've gotten older I've realized the importance of talking about the shit that's going on in my brain. To friends. To family. To anyone who is listening. Talking freely about anxiety, or depression, or just mental health in general is a VERY hard thing to do- especially to someone who hasn't experienced the same issues. A lot of people think that anxiety and/or depression equals suicide. Or self harm. Or substance abuse. Sure, those things do happen with some people, but I'm convinced that the majority of these people (me included) want to LIVE. And live a clean, and happy, and healthy life. Talking about about it in song is a lot easier for me. Talking about it via an email interview is cool too. 

PRT: The Judge character on the album cover originally appeared on your first solo record. What inspired you to bring him back this time? Is there a larger story or concept behind The Judge that connects your solo work?

Scott: The Judge is all of us. I'm gonna leave it at that.

PRT: Let’s talk about the album title—what led you to choose it, even if it’s not the most conventional or “catchy” name?

Scott: It's the orally counted rhythm of my most used fast punk guitar strumming pattern. I wanted to use it because it's so dumb...and I now love it...

PRT: With your last name being Sellers, have you ever considered—as Fountains Of Wayne put it—that you might have a bright future in sales?

Scott: Funny you should ask...my actual dream career is to be the sole salesman of the critically acclaimed WaterPants TM