Scott Van Zen is one of those accomplished musicians you most likely have heard, but maybe not heard of. All that’s about to change with the release of his debut solo EP, Trouble, on Love Conquered Records late this summer.
Van Zen has co-written hits for rock legends Kiss; won a Dove Award with Ken Tamplin; toured with ex Bad Company vocalist Brian Howe: and had over 1,000 songs placed in films, TV, and commercials (everything from The Green Hornet and Cars movies to McDonald’s ads). Yet, on the eve of his five-song EP’s release, this super-prolific blues-rock maestro remains disarmingly modest.
“I’ve been all over the world, on a lot of private jets, and been around a lot of money,” mulled Van Zen. “But the guitar was always the savior. It was never about girls or fame. It was always about the tone and the meditation, and the gift that I don’t take for granted.”
Influenced by six-string greats like Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher, and Johnny Winter – but also appealing to fans of Jimi Hendrix, Joe Bonamassa, and Gary Moore – Trouble is a raucous yet virtuoso romp through life’s dark desires and dilemmas. Songs like “Devil on Both Shoulders” and “Born in Darkness” tell gritty stories fueled by Van Zen’s fleet, furious fingers.
Trouble confirms why Scott Van Zen has been a first-call session player and sideman for decades, while reminding us that he’s also a world-class songsmith to boot.
