Scott Tournet ~ Blues and Lasers

Words and Photos by Joe Koch

If you're familiar with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, then you definitely know Scott Tournet. He's an integral part of the Nocturnals and his guitar work has launched him as a reputable player in the jam-band world.

Whether he's being invited onto stage by Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers and Govt. Mule) or melding with Grace in a harmonious solo, it is all confirmation that he made the right decision when he dropped out of Castleton State College in Vermont to pursue life as a guitarist. Pulling full-time duty with Grace, he assiduously tours the country and somehow finds time to fulfill his desire to explore solo projects.

His most recent project, Blues and Lasers, is the product of the Scott Tournett Band dissolving and re-emerging as Blues and Lasers. The new band still has Bryan Dondero from the Nocturnals on bass and Steve Sharon on the drums. He also teamed up with Turkey Bouillon Mafia's vocalist/guitarist Benny Yurco and added fellow Nocturnal drummer Matt Burr.

After releasing two solo albums under his name, Scott was looking to play heavier music with a more streamlined sound. That‘s why he created Blues and Lasers. "I was looking to move forward musically and yet still draw from the past," he said. "I was happy with my solo stuff, but I didn't feel like it was music that no one had ever heard before."

He yearned for a sound with a groove you could move to — something fun to solo over.
“I want to be able to satisfy the revved up crowd on a Friday or Saturday night,” said Scott.

Getting that new sound resulted in a new writing process. Scott traded his acoustic by the fireplace for his telecaster, a bottle of whiskey and a Fender amp with the reverb cranked up.

"It was very important for me to re-think what I had been doing from the ground up. When I had been writing songs before, I had been concentrating on the words and the song and almost forgetting about the music," said Scott. "Also, I'm better on electric guitar than I am on acoustic, so I would come up with more original chords and progressions. I just wanted to write songs that the musicians I play with would be really excited to play on. That was my thinking."

His first two solo albums were exactly that. He played the majority of the instruments. "It was fun as hell, but after awhile you get bored of your own tricks. The music starts going into similar places that you've been to before," he explained.

Photo by Joe Koch

Scott let the guys in the band put their own stamp on it. "When you throw out a song to band members and let them have their way with it, the song can take on an a whole new life," he said, "that you never could have come up with on your own."

He finds a balance juggling his full-time gig with Grace and devoting his spare time to Blues and Lasers. " It's weird, because I have these two sides in me that both need to be met," said Scott. "I love straightforward, song-based music, but I also really love spaced-out experimental music. It's like being a writer and wanting to do novels, short stories, and poetry. I just can't do any one thing all the time."

With Grace, he can focus on being the best guitarist he can be without worrying about carrying the show. Blues and Lasers allows him to freely experiment without the pressures of major record labels. That's what Scott believes good music is all about — breaking the rules and forging new ground.

Photo by Joe Koch

Feel like exploring the world of Scott Tournet? All three albums are a necessity — Next to Canada (2004,) Everyone You Meet is Fighting a Hard Battle (2006) and the Blues and Lasers EP (2008.) Each one has its own identity and defines where his inspiration came from.

"The first one, I was in love and in a domestic utopia with a 16-track recorder in northern New York state," said Scott. "The second one, I had just gone through a tough break-up and had just got into Townes Van Zandt. And the most recent, I had been living on the road and dealing with the joy and bullshit that comes with that. I try hard not to be too narcissistic in my writing, but I almost always end up writing about what I'm going through in one way or another. I think I have one 'story' song in all three albums."

For more info go to: www.myspace.com/scotttournetmusic

http://www.myspace.com/scotttournet