Scott Ayers was once upon a time in an up and coming indie band called The Lovemakers. Since that time he’s been running a bar, The RIC, which was mighty successful…until Covid-19 happened and then, well, Scott decided he had to do something else. He sold the bar, and got into music, and will release three albums: the first will be released on November 13 this year, with albums 2 and three released exactly a year and two years later respectively. First track from LP1 is ‘Leave Me Alone’, accompanied by a music video, the latter of which should be avoided if you’re allergic to – or just don’t like – cats.
So after a four year stint owning The RIC, in Oakland, where they hosted drag shows, jazz bands, live band karaoke, and a massive Skee-Ball League, it all ground to a halt with the advent of Covid-19. Not one to lie down and die, Ayers, having played in several different projects over a ten year period, which included playing drums in a tribute to Gun Club – which just happened to also feature Debbie Harry, and Nick Cave; he co-wrote a song with Chris Stein, Debbie’s Blondie bandmate; and did a mashup with 50-Cent. All this on top of playing on many many records with Bay Area bands.
His current plan, with Yachtclub101, sees Scott making 3 records in 3 years – 10 songs and 7 videos each album. Why so intense? Well he’s lost his business, and a friend, and Covid-19 pushed to the forefront the possibility in is mind of possibly dying from the virus, due to having had chronic asthma all is life. His focus shifted to putting as much music out there as possible, and spreading happiness, in this time of uncertainty.
“I don’t give a shit about fame or money and I’ve lived my life happily without either,” says Ayers. “I imagined every song on the record live as one of the first concerts after the virus has dissipated. That first six months of live shows will be crowds so happy to be literally anywhere it will undoubtedly be a really emotional experience. Being trapped inside the last five months and the everyday fear that you might be in a hospital tomorrow on a ventilator made this record a necessary dream of the future. When this crap is over I think people are just gonna want something fun and happy for a while and I plan on bringing that happiness to every single person in the world.”
‘Leave Me Alone’ is an almost chiptune track, taking its cues from pop punk, and imbuing it with an upbeat headbopping backbeat and jangly guitars. To say it’s catchy is to dismiss the absolute unstoppable nature of the track – as in, it’s impossible to stop playing it. Reminiscent of Wheatus, and They Might Be Giants, there’s a strong message of independence underlying the fun and funky rhythms. Did I mention the video? Cats, fractals, laserbeams, neon, and a bikini-clad dancer in the desert – need I say any more?
Watch the video for ‘Leave Me Alone’ below. You can find Scott Ayers aka Yachtclub101 and hsi music online on Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
Comments