As the follow-up to his widely acclaimed album Nonsuch Park (sa), Scott Helman unleashes his angsty new anthem “Old Friends” today, offering the first taste of his forthcoming project due out later this year. Stay tuned for more details coming this summer.
The track gives his fans an inside peek at some of his intimate memories – hanging out with a group of friends he knows was bad for him. While creating the song in L.A. with producer/writer Ryan Daly (Charlotte Lawrence, Fitz and the Tantrums) and writers Michelle Buzz (Katy Perry, Bebe Rexha) and Sean Van Vleet (Oliver Tree, The Knocks), Helman belted out the words “I miss my old friends!” – an admission he hadn’t yet made to himself.
“There is an aspect of improving your life that involves guilt,” says Helman. “The song stems from a time in my life when I was reckless, and when my company wasn’t always in good taste. Part of growing up is cleaning up your life, but that comes with its own pains, and I wanted to articulate that.”
The official music video (which features members of the alternative pop band Valley) was directed by two of Scott’s real-life (and not toxic) high school friends, Mica Daniels and Sise Drummond, who ideated a unique cinematic approach.
“I wanted to create a vision of my past, and when they suggested we use film to do that, I was stoked. I’ve only used film in photography, but to use it for a music video was a whole new experience. Each shot was a one-take that we had to rehearse for, which gave the video so much intention.”
Scott Helman has established himself as one of Canada’s leading singer-songwriters. Since the release of his breakthrough 2016 EP Augusta, the seven-time JUNO Award nominee has dominated the Canadian music scene with his 2017 debut full-length Hôtel de Ville and 2018 EP Hang Ups, earning three platinum and three gold certifications to date, plus collaborations with Alessia Cara and Hunter Hayes, as well as tours with the likes of Tegan and Sara, Shawn Mendes, Vance Joy, Walk Off The Earth and Dean Lewis.
Scott selected as a panellist on CBC’s Canada Reads, following the release of his sophomore album Nonsuch Park (sa), which featured the explosive gold-certified lead single “Wait No More,” the most added song at Canadian radio upon its release.
In 2019, Scott invited his fans to sign a document he named the Evergreen Manuscript, an effort to draw attention to the climate crisis and help cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half. Scott collected nearly 1,000 submissions, and through his “MayDay” initiative, is encouraging fans to help deliver the document to politicians and corporate leaders around the world.
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