Ray Scott was 14 years old when he opened his eyes to the world for the first time. The momentous occasion took place in the backseat of a four-door Chevy Caprice, when his grandmother took him and his cousin on a ride alongside the California coast.
“I was young and naïve, and I had never really been out of North Carolina,” Scott, 51, tells PEOPLE, smiling through the phone at the mere recollection. “Maybe I had gone to Myrtle Beach once or twice, and I think I had been to Virginia, but that was about it.”
Ray Scott.Stacey Scott
And as the teenage boy who would eventually turn into one of country music’s most prized traditionalists passed through the majesty of Yosemite National Park and the grandness of the city of San Francisco, the sweet voice of the legendary Patsy Cline could be heard floating from the car speakers.
“We listened to a lot of Patsy Cline on that trip,” chuckles the independent country music artist who co-wrote songs such as Clay Walker’s 2003 hit “A Few Questions” andRandy Travis' “Pray for the Fish” before officially breaking out in 2005 with his debut albumMy Kind of Music. “We listened to country music that whole trip.”
“I remember that it was an adventure that just blew my mind,” remembers the singer/songwriter with the velvety baritone voice. “Until then, life was pretty much limited to where I lived. But in that car and on that trip, the world opened up to me, and all of a sudden, I saw this bigger world. And it pretty much changed my life.”
And it is this piece of the backbone of Scott’s life story that he pulled from on his new song “Cover the Earth,” exclusively premiering on PEOPLE and the title track of his first album in four years.
“They always say country music is the truth, and with age and experience, I find that that’s true more than ever,” says Scott, who will go out this fall on a full tour booked primarily according to his fans' unwavering support. “In recent years, I have gone through the exercise of what country music truly is. This song is my truth. It’s tailor-made to me and my life.”
With a backbeat that seems to follow the sound of the tires that turned around and around on those vast California highways, “Cover the Earth” is an ode to Scott’s adoration for the open road and the treasures one’s soul can find there.
“I have always loved living life on the road,” Scott explains. “I’m a married guy with no kids. I want to see everything and meet everybody. I have always just wanted to take it all in.”
It’s a feeling that got even stronger in the past year or so, as the pandemic unexpectedly showed up and locked down the world for months.
“We were all spoiled, and then the pandemic hit,” remember Scott. “I think the pandemic forced us to realize the freedoms we have around us are something we should never take for granted.”
Indeed, Scott says even the ability to play live music for his fans feels different not only for him, but the people standing out in that somewhat socially distanced crowd.
“The fans take in the songs differently than ever before,” he explains. “A few weeks ago, I had a lady in the audience listening to me do one of my songs, and afterward, she came up to me asking if I could write down the lyrics so she could give it to someone as a graduation gift. I mean, she was in tears.”
He pauses for a second.
“I will never take it the road for granted again. I guarantee it.”
source: people.com
