Mar 1, 20216 min read

Scott the Pisces aims to bring you the 'Perfect Summer' with Aleesia by his side

Scott first caught our attention back in 2018 with his debut single ‘Home’, which was released under his old alias – Spectrum. He later built up his musical momentum, releasing the tracks ‘Lost My Way’ and ‘Take You There’ in quick succession. After accumulating over a million streams collectively across Spotify; Scott said goodbye to his old alias with his final release ‘Leaving You Behind’. Now with his new alias - Scott the Pisces marks a new start to his already growingly successful career.

When COVID hit last year, most cities had gone under lockdown, no more Tomorrowland, no more Ultra, not even ADE, Summer was cancelled all together. Things were looking bleak worldwide, but that didn't stop him. Scott was inspired, working hard to create something positive out of a dark time. Now it's 2021, and Scott is set to release his debut EP: Ocean Blue on the 5th March 2021 which includes the headline single ‘Perfect Summer’ featuring Aleesia, whom previously worked with high profile artists; Martin Garrix & Big Sean. We had a sneaky early listen to the song, and here's our editors thoughts.

‘Perfect Summer’ brings forth a bright and bubbly vibe from the start, glistened with Aleesia’s elevating vocals; a subtle touch of sexiness. Scott then surprises us further when his very own rare vocals appear in the song. The duet definitely rings those flirtatious summer vibes that were stripped from us last year.

Overall, ‘Perfect Summer’ is a song that tantalises your senses, as you feel the warm summer breeze, smell the sea air, taste the ice cold beer, or cocktail. Thoughts of having the greatest time with your mates, while the sun beams down. Compensating for the summer we all missed in 2020.

Pre-save the song now: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/scottthepisces/ocean-blue

Interview

When did your journey into the music industry truly start?

Aleesia: I’d say when I was 16. That’s when I started to work on writing my own music, and collaborating with producers and other songwriters, getting comfortable in the studio atmosphere. It feels like a lifetime ago really - I released my first song when I was 17, and when I look back I feel like I was such a baby! But I have to say the learning side of this industry is never-ending. The growth is continuous and the journey has been colourful. In the last few years I’ve really focused more on Aleesia the songwriter, co-writing for and with other artists and I’m enjoying that thoroughly. In whatever capacity, music makes me happy - and that’s why I do it.

Where did you get your inspiration from when producing Perfect summer?

Scott: It was the start of summer 2020, things were looking very bleak and it appeared that our summers worldwide would be cancelled. That was when I decided that I wanted to create a song that would invoke the complete opposite of what we were experiencing. What would the perfect summer look like? I spent hours listening to nostalgic pop songs from my childhood, Katy Perry, Carly Rae Jepsen, and such, while mapping out lists of what I considered contributed to a perfect summer. The beats had to be driving four to the floor, there had to be funky guitar riffs, upbeat synth melodies, and the hooks had to be super catchy. You had to be able to close your eyes and be transported into summer, no matter the time of year.

What were your first thoughts when you heard the original demo for Perfect Summer?

Aleesia: Bop. Fresh. Fun. Is this for Katy Perry?

I honestly loved it, and I loved Scott’s voice on it. I instantly thought it would sound hype as a duet.

Wait, that was you singing Scott? I never knew you could sing, could you please tell me more about your singing past? Why aren’t we hearing more vocals from you?

Scott: Ah yes it was me performing in the second verse as well as doing the backing vocals behind Aleesia’s incredible voice. By no means do I consider myself a singer, and I wasn’t even going to hop onto the song until Aleesia recommended I gave it a try. Originally I recorded the vocal demo to Perfect Summer, heavily autotuned just so that Aleesia would get the idea of where I’m coming from. This was the first time I decided to sing a demo to someone to re-record, and for it being Aleesia, I was quite nervous! I’ve had no prior training, so it was purely my producer magic compensating for that!

Where did you draw inspiration from with your vocal performance on the track?

Aleesia: Good old-fashioned, feel-good POP baby. I think it was more about capturing that fun, easy-breezy feeling vs. focusing on a specific tone or inspiration if that makes sense. I think I smiled the whole time as I recorded the vocals. I just had fun with it, and so hopefully that comes through. It has a great pop nostalgia vibe, and so it really did feel good to perform.

What’s it like working with Aleesia, I mean last year was a hectic year for the music industry, any challenges you have encountered during the production?

Scott: Working with Aleesia was incredible. Being able to work completely remotely during all that was going on was a complete blessing, and it’s why I’m grateful we live in the era of the internet. As much as it was a hectic year, it also meant we all had a whole lot more free time to be creative. The only challenges I really faced was my own self expectations, making sure I mixed every single element the best it could be done. I think I mixed down the entire song 5 times, in 3 different Logic projects before sending it to mastering. The other dilemma I had was my confidence in my vocals, I had to make sure they could match the energy of Aleesia, while making sense in the song. It was nowhere near a perfect first take, I had to go back, line for line, comping in better vocal attempts until I had the best verse and backing vocals I could get from myself.

What does the song mean to you? (When you hear it, what emotions does it invoke? Nostalgia etc)

Aleesia: Well after this year it means a hell of a lot more, quite honestly! Looking back at all the things we used to take for granted, listening to “Perfect Summer” just invokes happiness for me. Singing about the simpler times of gathering, listening to music and partying effortlessly without a care in the world, almost feels like a fantasy after what the world has been through. So it makes me feel nostalgic yes, but also hopeful and excited to get back to that.

What can we expect from Aleesia later on this year? (2021)

Aleesia: Some features and then some more features, and then possibly something new from me as a solo artist this summer. I’m fortunate enough to collaborate with people all over the world and so there is a pretty consistent stream of singles coming out in 2021, that I’ve been a part of in one way or another. From deep house, to K-Pop you’re going to hear a lot. I legitimately enjoy writing all kinds of music and so I love the fact that I am living in a really free place right now, without the pressure of boundaries or boxes. I just work on things that make me feel good and that I think are cool.

What kind of changes are we going to expect from Scott the Pisces music wise after the transition?

Scott: I’m going to be writing a lot of the songs completely myself, so it’s no longer just the production on my end. This EP has shown me I am capable of doing so, with 3 of the 5 tracks being completely written by myself, while maintaining a solid production. I’m delving into the pop world more now, while also working with some brilliant Hip Hop acts on some alternative funky electronic vibes. As long as I can create catchy hooks, write meaningful stories, I’m setting no bounds to genre. A little mix of everything. The real dilemma is deciding what to release first! Expect to see more consistency with my releasing schedules, as I look to catch up and surpass my previous work of the last 5 years.