Scott Miller

Overview

Feisty, funny singer/guitar-slinger Scott Miller is not a simple study. Raised on a cattle farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where he expects to return before too long, he writes songs full of rural imagery, and his trademark is the mule. But he also has a degree in Russian and Soviet Studies from William & Mary and can write a rock song with the best of them. In 1990, armed with his prestigious but ultimately useless degree. (“The Soviet Union collapsed when I graduated — I don't take any credit, though"), Miller moved to Knoxville, where he started scraping out a living playing local bars and clubs. The owner of a now-defunct bar called Hawkeye’s quickly recognized Miller’s homespun appeal and gave him a regular night, and he proceeded to build a loyal legion of fans. The marquee outside said “Scott Miller: Every Damn Friday” for four long years. Meanwhile, Miller began touring regionally and his following grew accordingly. The next phase found him a member of Knoxville roots-rock unit the V-Roys, the first band signed to E-Squared, an indie label founded by the late Jack Emerson and Steve Earle. He then signed with Sugar Hill, for which he recorded three studio albums and a live record with the Commonwealth. And now comes this fiercely individualistic phase of the veteran artist’s career. “Owning your own record company is not as glamorous as the olden days,” he notes, “but with more money I can buy me some glamorous shit. But seriously, owning this record is not about making more money — it’s about keeping more money.”